Re: [IAC#RG] Amartya Sen’s outburst after being denied second term

It is an interesting write-up, quite long in deed. Though as per the disclaimer, the author (whom I do not know at all) has no political affiliation, but every line of his write up amply reveals otherwise. And he is biased! Writing is a responsible and serious business. It needs thorough knowledge, requires investigations, search and research of the materials.It requires dedication. Otherwise a superfluous vomitus will be the result as in this communique.It is always wiser to keep mouth shut rather than opening and telling rubbish without any base and detailed work-up. This kind of attitude is not going to raise India's standard any further even if we talk of innovation etc etc.Let all of us work together with commitment and not superfluously for regaining the status of our country. Disclaimer: This is not to hurt any body who-so-ever.



On Thursday, 26 February 2015 1:05 AM, Arun Singh <arunsingh.in@gmail.com> wrote:



Let the facts about Nalanda University be brought in the public domain. I do not think that the BJP Government is in the wrong here. This mentality of ours to import Indian born academicians, who have spent their working lives in the West, and give them the numero uno positions in Indian universities will not succeed. These people have no idea of the ground realities in India.
Courtesy: Hem Lohumi (whose post I am sharing)
Amitabh Joshi (for bringing this to my notice)
Sanjeev Sanghi ( for sharing the facts)
Another perspective in the ongoing controversy! Take your pick…
Nalanda University, Amartya Sen and the massive fraud in reconstruction !!
Aside August 26, 2014 February 20, 2015 Shwetank History, Socio Political
Nalanda University was an ancient centre of learning in India, and among the first great universities in recorded history, predating such institutions of higher learning like Al-Azhar in Egypt (10th century AD), the University of Bologna in Italy (11th century AD), and Oxford University in England (12th century AD). It was also the first ever residential university in the world, holding capacity for thousands of students to stay on campus in dorms.
One of the interesting aspects of Nalanda University was its intake of 'international students' from as far away as Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, as well as Southeast, Central, and Western Asian regions. Nalanda University's appeal to scholars from these regions was due to the fact that it was one of the most important seats of learning in the Buddhist world. But despite its focus on the study of Buddhism, students at Nalanda University were allowed to pursue other areas of knowledge, such as the fine arts, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, politics, and even the art of war. As a result, numerous illustrious thinkers were associated with the university.
The real blow to Nalanda came with the arrival ov Muslim invaders in 1197 led by Mohammad Bakhtiyar Khilji, a general of Qutubuddin Aibak, who were intolerant of the other religions and cultures. Much of the university was demolished, its priceless library was burnt down and many of its scholars, including Buddhist monks, were mercilessly slaughtered, in what was one of the greatest acts of cultural vandalism in India.
The Scam : Private Estate with Public Money
For a long time now Amartya Sen has aired views upon everything except perhaps economics. He is a 'historian', 'political scientist', 'philosopher', 'sociologist', 'institution builder', 'self-appointed non-resident Chancellor, Nalanda University'. He has been adored by Indians almost as a sage. The Nobel Laureate in Economics (1998) never had any practical solution for India's economy in testing times. Neither his economist friend Manmohan Singh nor his student Kaushik Basu, former Chief Economic Adviser, could leave it in better shape.
The Govt spent Rs. 2.11 Crore on meetings held by a "Mentor Group" constituted under the chairmanship of Prof Amartya Sen in Singapore, Tokyo, New York & Delhi to conceptualize establishment of the university. The group formed in 2007 was supposed to file a final report in nine months but Amartya Sen never bothered to submit even in three years the detailed project report. The great economist could not even prepare a financial estimate for the project or bring any funds from abroad. Yet he was made Chairman of the Governing Board of Nalanda University. And finally the Board, chaired by him, chose him as the Chancellor in Beijing in 2011. What could be a better way to cling on to power; enjoy flying trips and luxury hospitality; and get repeated opportunities to preach to lesser mortals of India? A courteous media never put uncomfortable questions to him when scandalous appointments and arbitrary dealings became apparent in Nalanda University.

N1}. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, who originally envisioned the project, resigned in disgust but never shared with media why exactly he left the Nalanda University project. The project was his brainchild. It was obvious in Kalam's own words- his letter to the External Affairs Minister on July 4, 2011. Kalam's letter to Mr. S. M. Krishna reveals why he was not in a position to become the first Visitor of the Nalanda University The MEA suppressed the letter until it was retrieved through an RTI application.

N2}. Kalam felt frustrated with the people at helm of affairs. His resignation is evidently a rebuff to Prof. Amartya Sen and his protégé Dr. Gopa Sabharwal, smuggled in as the Vice Chancellor-Designate without his knowledge. Being chairman, Governing Board, Prof. Sen's position is equivalent to Chancellor (the University officially has none as yet). Neither Prof. Sen nor Dr. Sabharwal could inspire the confidence of Dr. Kalam.
With a mind besotted with Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard he views Nalanda University through that prism. The glory of ancient Nalanda University was not really that students from all over East Asia came to study there. Its glory was that committed Pandits like Arya Dev, Silabhadra, Dharmapala, Santarakshita and Chandragomin spent their lives for the sake of that institution. But to Prof. Sen 'Nalanda University' is pure exotica. Had Amartya declared, having achieved and obtained everything an academician can dream of, building Nalanda University was his life's mission and he would settle down in Bihar for that, one could have appreciated it. But Amartya views 'Nalanda University' as an opportunity for flying trips (at the cost of Indian taxpayers) and flowery speeches. The fault lies actually with Indian establishment. Entrusting the task reviving Nalanda University to Amartya Sen & Co is testimony of India's obsequiousness. This obsequiousness is what Dr. Kalam has repeatedly warned Indians against.
The controversy, however, erupted with the appointment of a 'Vice Chancellor, designate'. In reply to a question on August 25, MEA said no vice-chancellor has been appointed in Nalanda University. However, according to an RTI reply, vice chancellor Gopa Sabharwal and seven of her associates are drawing salaries since October 2010. Vice-chancellor draws salary of Rs 5,06,513 per month. As per the Act, the headquarters should be at Nalanda, Bihar, but within two months of Gazette notification on September 22 last year, were shifted to RK Puram in New Delhi.
Under Government of India Allocation of Business Rules, 1961, MEA is not authorized to manage or own a university unless part of an inter-governmental agreement. No inter-governmental agreement exists for Nalanda University, unlike the South Asian University. The incumbent Gopa Sabharwal, appointed through an order issued by a secretary in MEA on the recommendation of the mentor group, is just a reader in the department of sociology in the Lady Sri Ram College and has nothing to do with the Buddhist studies for which the university is to be set up. She did not meet the mandatory qualification set by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the vice-chancellors of the central and state universities to be distinguished academicians with a minimum ten years of experience as a professor in a university system.
Ignoring the government's recruitment rules that require public notice, Dr Sabharwal picked up her friend Dr Anjana Sharma, an associate professor in Delhi University, as the Officer-on-Special Duty (OSD) on deputation, with gross monthly salary of Rs 3.30 lakhs, which is more than the salary of a Vice-Chancellor in the rest of the country.
The Standing Committee of the ministry says in its report just tabled in Parliament that the Nalanda project was estimated in 2007 to cost Rs 1,005 crore but this may have to be revised, and that the same mentor group has now become the interim governing board of the university. In its very first meeting in February, this board nominated adviser committee to help out and two persons representing India in it are Ms Upinder Singh, daughter of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and her colleague Ms Nayanjot Lahiri, who are not experts on any aspect of the Nalanda tradition or history.
But as Amartya Sen's letter to Pranab Mukherjee, i.e., February 2009 reveals he recommended three names for the post of Rector. They were in order of preference a) Dr. Gopa Sabharwal b) Dr. Ramchandra Guha and c) Dr. Pratap Bahanu Mehta.
How the names of the three candidates were shortlisted; how was the selection process conducted; and who were there in the search committee is a closely guarded secret. As far as one understands (a) the plump post was never advertised/publicised (b) no search committee was constituted c) there was no interview or selection process and d) Ramachandra Guha and Pratap Bhanu Mehta were never contacted for this top job. Amartya Sen never submitted any supporting papers related to the selection.

N3}. Amartya Sen's criticism of Narendra Modi is also a product of political sponsorship. It has to be understood in the perspective of the 'politics of obligation' practised within the Amartya Sen-JD(U)-UPA triangle. The cornerstone of this relationship is vested in the Nalanda University project. It is this fraudulent project that binds Amartya Sen, UPA and Nitish Kumar. It extends to supporting the policies of Manmohan Singh's Government in New Delhi and Nitish Kumar's Government in Bihar. In fact Manmohan Singh and Nitish Kumar are both using Amartya Sen to validate their policies (including follies).
N4}. Many primary school buildings are better than this building worth several hundred crores.
Amartya Sen is threatening to resign after the finance ministry raised pointed queries on the financial management of the varsity, said an Indian Express report. The varsity has been granted a massive Rs 2,727 crore financial support package over a period of 12 years. The finance ministry's Department of Expenditure has asked the Ministry of External Affairs, the nodal ministry for the project, the reasons why government rules should not apply to the project, said the Indian Express report.

Nalanda University has become a private estate with public money in the name of autonomy. Amartya has no fig leaves to the hide himself. Only the media is not asking him the right questions.


~
Regards
Arun


PS: Views expressed here are of my own, I am neither related to any political outfit/ organisation, Nor I am endorsing any party views, This analysation is mine based on the excerpts received from different sources.


On Mon, Feb 23, 2015 at 11:05 PM, Protyush Chatterjeesopedis <protyush.chatterjee@gmail.com> wrote:

I cannot agree with you. The fact cannot be disputed that there have been unwarranted interference by the governments in the educational institutions, irrespective of the state and the ruling party. People of unquestionable stature should be left out of poilitics. Amartya Sen is a personality of that status. Just because he is not too enthusiastic about Modi, the government is not too interested about Amartya Sen.
>Dr P Chatterjee
>
>
>On Sat, Feb 21, 2015 at 5:18 PM, Venkatraman Ns <nsvenkatchennai@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> To
>>India Against Corruption
>>
>>
>> Amartya Sen's outburst after being denied second term
>>
>>On being denied second term as Chancellor of Nalanda University, Amartsya
Sen has criticised the Modi government and accused it of threatening the academic
freedom. Obviously, Amartya Sen would not have said this if he has been given
a second term. His reaction sounds like that of a typical politician in India,
who views any situation considering his personal interests.
>>Amartya Sen has
completed his term as Chancellor of Nalanda University and his term has not
been disturbed in the middle. Certainly, the government has the duty, responsibility and authority to
decide as to who should be the next chancellor and the decision need not always
go in faour of incumbent. Person like Amartya Sen, a Nobel laurete who gets lot of publicity in the
Indian media , should understand this prerogative of the government.
>>By no stretch of
imagination , one can say that not
providing a second term for the Chancellor amount to threaten the academic
freedom. Certainly, there are people in India who are equally suitable or even
may be more suitable than Amartya Sen
for the job and the government is entitled to examine such possibilities.
>>It is unfortunate
that Amartya Sen has viewed the issues relating to academic freedom in India in
such a restricted way such as posting of Chancellor.
>>It is known that
Amartya Sen has given an impression that
he is a pledged critic of Narendra Modi and his recent interview in the media not only talks about his not being given a second term but also highly critical remarks about Modi's governance,
which is unwarranted from a person holding position as Chancellor of
University.
>>N.S.Venkataraman
>>Nandini Voice For The
Deprived
>>nsvenkatchennai@gmail.com
>>twitter : @nsvchennai
>>
>>
>>
>>
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