Patriotism for marks? Gujarat University’s five-mark tiranga yatra

By Prof. Hemantkumar Shah* 

The Registrar of Gujarat University wrote a letter on 11 August 2025 to the principals of all affiliated colleges and the directors of the university’s postgraduate departments.

In it, he stated that on 13 August at 11:00 a.m., a Tiranga Yatra (Tricolour March) would be organised at the university, and that a coordinator should be sent along with the students.

The letter also said that the Tiranga Yatra should be treated as a project under the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) paper, and that students who attend would be given five marks for it. This paper, taught in the first semester with two credits, is one of the Value Added Courses. How many colleges actually teach it is another matter altogether — the main reason being the shortage of teachers.

The implication is clear: for the project students are supposed to do under the IKS paper, merely attending this march would suffice — no actual project work required! Just walk holding the tricolour, and the five marks are guaranteed! Surely, this will make the student a Vishwaguru (world teacher)! What value exactly is being “added” to a student by skipping a project and walking with a flag — only the Vice-Chancellor knows.

Look at the wording of the letter:

1. In the very first line, it says: “As per the orders of the Vice-Chancellor.” That is, sending students to the Tiranga Yatra is a direct order from the Vice-Chancellor to college principals and postgraduate department heads.

2. In the fifth line, it says: “Request as per this order.” So, the Vice-Chancellor both orders and requests! Remarkable, isn’t it?

3. In the sixth line of this seven-line letter, it says that once the march is over, “a humble request” is made to take attendance of the students. Here, the request has suddenly become “humble” instead of an order!

Whose programme is the Tiranga Yatra anyway? The Government of India’s, the Government of Gujarat’s, or the BJP’s? Whichever of the three it may be, can any Vice-Chancellor dare to say the university has nothing to do with it? What has happened in Gujarat University has surely happened in every other state-run university as well.

And yes — students are being enticed with five marks. A lure to be offered by the principal of each college. Students are not to come inspired by patriotism; they are to come tempted by marks! So the Vice-Chancellor already knows how patriotic students are — they’ll wave the tricolour only if bribed with marks.

The truth is likely that the office of the State Government’s Higher Education Commissioner in Gandhinagar has ordered all universities to hold a Tiranga Yatra.

Is there any principal with a “56-inch chest” who will dare to defy such an order or “request”? This is the latest example of how the BJP government has turned education into a mockery. These so-called protectors of Hindu culture are setting out to make India a Vishwaguru through Vice-Chancellors who obey every government directive, and principals and postgraduate department heads who follow orders without question.

I studied at Gujarat University for four years: from 1977–79 when I did my M.A. in Economics, and again from 1990–92 when I did my M.A. in Political Science. In those days, there were no Tiranga Yatras in universities, and proper teaching and learning took place. That must mean all the teachers and students of that time, including me, were traitors! What a farce now passes in the name of education!

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*Senior economist based in Ahmedabad