'JNU held discussion on counter-terrorism course, NEP before adoption': VC Jagadesh Kumar

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar has refuted allegations that the varsity administration implements government policies without due discussion on the matter. Referring to the controversy surrounding the introduction of the counter-terrorism course, Kumar said the decision was taken after discussion in JNU's statutory bodies.

"Whatever decisions we take, are discussed in JNU's statutory bodies. Whether it is the establishment of the School of Medicine or implementation of NEP or the recent course on counter-terrorism. Any criticism that these things are not well discussed is unfounded," said Jagadesh Kumar on Friday. 

The statement comes a day after the JNU executive council approved a new counter-terrorism course, which had drawn criticism from a section of teachers and students over its content. The course, meant for engineering students had been greatly criticized for 'singling out' religion as the only form of fundamentalist religious terrorism. 

They also alleged that the course asserts that communist regimes in the Soviet Union and China were state-sponsors of terrorism that influenced radical Islamic states.

JNU vice-chancellor Jagadesh Kumar had on Wednesday said that there was "needless controversy" about a new counter-terrorism course without going into its academic merits. On Friday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan congratulated M Jagadesh Kumar and his team for introducing the course in JNU. 

The course on counter-terrorism is titled "Counter-Terrorism, Asymmetric Conflicts, and Strategies for Cooperation among Major Powers". The course will be offered to students pursuing an MS with a specialization in International Relations after a BTech in Engineering. Online classes for the monsoon semester will start on September 20.

JNUTA opposes NEP

Similar opposition was witnessed by JNU during the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020). The JNU Teachers Association had claimed that under the guise implementing of the NEP, the varsity's academic council was recommending changes that are "contrary" to its policy. Teachers and students from the university had launched a protest in March 2019 against the New Education Policy and demanded its withdrawal.

In November 2020, the JNU formed a committee to discuss measures for implementing the new education policy, including the introduction of four-year undergraduate programs and conversion of the existing three-year courses into four-year ones.

(With inputs from agency)