Jammu University Forms Committee After Protests Over Jinnah Chapter in Political Science Syllabus | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Amid protests by student groups and a parallel defence by university authorities over the inclusion of a chapter on Muhammad Ali Jinnah in its postgraduate political science syllabus, the University of Jammu has constituted a committee to examine the issue, The Tribune, a Chandigarh-based newspaper, reported.

The controversy centres around the inclusion of a chapter on Jinnah in the “Modern Indian Political Thought” module under the paper titled “Minorities and the Nation,” introduced as part of the revised syllabus aligned with the National Education Policy 2020.

According to The Tribune, members of the JK unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), led by its secretary Sannak Shrivats, staged a protest on Friday against the university administration. The protesters raised slogans demanding the immediate removal of the chapter and also tore posters of Jinnah during the demonstration.

The protesting students warned of intensifying their agitation if the content was not withdrawn, arguing that academic freedom should not override what they termed as national sentiments.

In response to the protests and representations received from students, Vice Chancellor Umesh Rai ordered the constitution of a committee comprising senior faculty members to review the matter.

“The Vice-Chancellor has constituted a committee to examine the matter with respect to the Political Science syllabus, as reported in the media and represented by some students,” the order stated, as quoted by The Tribune.

The committee will be convened by Prof Naresh Padha and includes the Heads of the Departments of Philosophy, History, and Sociology, along with the Director of Strategic and Regional Studies. The Assistant Registrar (Academic Affairs) has been appointed as Member Secretary. The panel has been directed to submit its report at the earliest.

University officials, however, have defended the academic content. Head of the Political Science Department, Baljit Singh Mann, stated that the inclusion of Jinnah and other political thinkers is purely academic in nature and consistent with syllabi followed by universities across the country, as well as guidelines set by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The development comes amid ongoing debates in academic circles over curriculum design, academic autonomy, and the balance between scholarly content and public sensitivities.