Higher learning isn’t to promote any ideology: Chanakya varsity VC

It was a year ago that the legislature passed a Bill to establish the Chanakya University (CU), said to be the first private university established in line with NEP aspirations.

CU was born amid controversy that it got 116 acres of land worth Rs 400 crore for just Rs 50 crore by the government.

Also, some cried foul that CU was affiliated to the RSS, the ruling BJP’s ideological parent.

Now, with 150 students on board, DH’s Rashmi Belur spoke to CU vice-chancellor Yashavantha Dongre on academics and accusations. Excerpts:

There are 23 other private universities in Karnataka. How different is CU?

Most private universities were established either by a trust, family or individuals. That’s where CU stands out. The sponsoring body is the Centre for Education and Social Studies (CESS), which is in the field of education for a long time. We have an Advisory Council comprising people known and respected nationally and internationally. It’s headed by former ISRO chairman K Kasturirangan. Our Act itself is distinct. There’s a provision to create a court involving different stakeholders. It’s an international institutional arrangement facilitating stakeholders’ involvement.

What about the land controversy? How did CU get land at such a rate?

There’s a process the government follows regarding land. The government has given the land and some people say it’s not proper. They might question and they’ll have to. As a university, we’ll definitely argue. But, why’s this important? Any university is an institution for public good. I don’t want to get into details. It’s a legal issue that will be fought at that level.

When will the campus be ready? What about current academic activities?

We’ve a temporary place where first-year classes started from August 22 with 150 students. The campus will be ready for the next academic year. We’re offering UG and PG programmes. We provide multi-disciplinary learning options and course-specialised skills. Besides domain knowledge, communication skills and leadership qualities are important. We’re focusing on recognising talent and hobbies by offering open electives. Comparatively, our fee structure is very affordable - between Rs 60,000 and Rs 90,000. We even offer scholarships for the poor and meritorious.

How do you respond to criticism that this is an RSS university?

Some people involved in establishing this university have their own ideology and leaning. Even our faculty have different leanings. As a team, if you see our composition, you’ll get the answer. There are faculty from JNU. Why did they come? We’ve students from all major communities and different states. During admissions, no one has asked this question. The education system is important. Higher learning is not a process to promote any ideology.

CU wants to offer new-age programmes integrated with Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS). What about criticism that IKS promotes a certain ideology?

IKS is a widely-used term. I feel it doesn’t represent any ideology or a set of people. It is used even in government schemes, so it seems like an agenda of that particular government. We look at it as an opportunity to create an education model that’s relevant for us. Higher education that’s in practice is a western idea and this is agreed by a majority. We need locally-relevant knowledge systems. We needn’t be carried away by politicised nomenclature.

What would be your contribution to society, mainly for those who lost land in and around CU?

We’ve started the university as a socially-responsive institution. Local community is very important and we’re in touch with over 10 villages where our students will study the major issues they’re facing. We’ve even interacted with the land losers. We can’t employ all the villagers, but we can assure, academically, what we can do from our side. We’re also giving importance during admissions to students who studied in local languages.