Educational Insights | Stay Informed with Edinbox

The latest hoo-ha regarding Ashoka University and Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad's arrest once again stoked a debate about academic freedom, free speech, and the place of educational institutions in politically charged times. The issue at the very heart of the storm is more profound: Can one be neutral if one speaks for the voices that breathe life into an institution?

Earlier this month, Sanjeev Bikhchandani, co-founder of Ashoka University and prominent Indian entrepreneur, responded to public condemnation by political commentator Yogendra Yadav. Yadav had questioned the university's stance on Mahmudabad's arrest, implying that it was not friendly to academic freedom. Bikhchandani described these allegations as "misguided," and asserted that the university's reaction had been intended to preserve institutional neutrality, rather than silence dissent.

Departmental head Professor Mahmudabad was detained in May 2024 for a post on Facebook criticizing a government briefing by the military. The post, seemingly taking a stand in solidarity with marginalized communities, including Indian Muslims, defied state narratives — and received critical flak. Though later released on interim bail by the Supreme Court, the incident has left a lasting taint on the institution's reputation.

In a statement, Bikhchandani explained that disciplining faculty for individual social media action does not equate to curbing academic freedom. While that stance may find favor with advocates of boundaries between personal activism and institutional congruence, it has found vocal opposition with advocates of unbridled expression.

Ashoka University, better known for its liberal ideology and activist student body, has also been criticized time and time again for so-called "woke" culture and tolerance of activism. From blaming Israel's policies to debating caste privilege, the university campus has time and again found itself amidst scholarship and socio-political commentary. But this is a different story — it challenges the very foundations of what the universities are doing in a democracy.

In his response, Bikhchandani admitted to the seriousness of the pressure he faces. He even considered resigning once, questioning whether the criticism and reputational wear and tear were worth the emotional toll. But then he remains faithful to Ashoka's founding principles — a high-wire balancing act between shielding free thinking and avoiding having the university turn into a political battleground.

The incident has thrown open the gates to questions that impact universities throughout India: Where does one place boundaries between personal expression and institutional responsibility? Do academic institutions need to keep away from the politics of their professors, or is defending them part of their responsibility?

While the debate continues raging, the judgment is yet to be passed. But one thing is sure: this case will settle the fate of academic freedom in India. As nation and world academies hold their breaths, Ashoka University will now have to walk a tightrope — living its commitment to intellectual freedom while staying strong as a neutral, inclusive space.

Because in modern-day India, where freedom of speech is increasingly policed and silence is politicized, the job of a university is not only to educate — it's to be a representation of what an unfrightened society is.

In order to address the growing emotional problems of young adults in the era of social media, Delhi University is launching a new elective course titled "Negotiating Intimate Relationships" for undergraduate students from the 2025-26 academic session, the Times of India reports.

Developed by the Department of Psychology, the course appears on the university website since 2023. The course aims to allow students to understand the social patterns of friendships and dating relationships in contemporary dating app and social media culture. The four-credit paper is available to all undergraduate students irrespective of discipline and is meant to empower learners to identify red flags, manage emotional involvement, and create healthy interpersonal relationships.

The move comes amid heightened concern over emotional distress and violent behavior linked to abusive relationships among youth. Through structured academic involvement, the university seeks to foster greater emotional literacy and resilience among the students.

It is divided into four main units, beginning from the psychology of close relationships and friendships. It then focuses on different theories of love and sexuality, including Robert Sternberg's triangular theory of love and the two-factor theory. The third unit focuses on warning signs in relationships such as intimate partner violence, emotional manipulation, and jealousy. The final segment addresses strategies for developing meaningful and long-lasting relationships.

There will be three lectures and one tutorial per week. There is no practical, but tutorials will include activities such as movie review, debates on dating culture, group discussion, and social network analysis of social media. Movies Kabir Singh and Titanic will be reviewed to critically analyze love and conflict representations. One's romantic love for a romantic partner will also be assessed based on Sternberg's triangular love scale.

From the syllabus of the course, the key learning objectives are to empower students to understand the roots of close relationships, recognize emotional triggers and conflicts, and acquire the ability of forming meaningful and respectful connections. Upon successful completion of the course, students should be capable of analyzing the psychological causes of love and suffering, and use it in everyday life.

The university believes that such academic intervention is all the more relevant, especially in view of recent cases of emotional instability and interpersonal violence among students. Only students clearing Class 12 examination will be able to take admission in the course.

There was a huge turnout of prospective students and parents at an enlightening Mission Admission seminar organized by The Times of India in collaboration with The Astute Academy at Dr. Kalmadi Shamarao Junior College auditorium on Sunday.

Organized by Tushar Vinod Deoras, a former scientist at BARC and current chairman of Astute Academy, the seminar sought to de-mystify Indian and international MBBS and higher education admissions.

The first session was on the Indian MBBS admission process, providing clarity for students with as low as NEET 200 scores. Students also heard about cost-effective means of studying medicine in the US through formal Indo-American university partnerships.

The second session focused on US and German postgraduate and undergraduate admissions. Students and parents were given in-depth information on getting a place at a top university abroad.

In the initial session, Deoras introduced a lot of information. He highlighted the fact that most of the private medical colleges provide donation-free management quota merit seats. He explained fee regimes, where funding is managed by govt, and offered to students tripartite Indo-American university partnered models, which deliver low-cost, sophisticated contemporary medical education in the US and then go on to impart employer-relevant value worldwide.

The second session dealt with undergraduate and postgraduate programs available in the US and Germany, with a special focus on Ivy League institutions and Germany's technical universities.

Deoras pointed out how loose and inter-disciplinary the US system is, with greater career orientation than fixed course patterns. He advised students to begin developing their profiles as early as Std IX and applying to overseas universities at least a year in advance, since most work on the first-come, first-served principle.

He added, "Quality education and a successful career are the inherent right of a student. Students and parents must not judge countries by stereotypes but identify which system best fits the goals of the student."

A highlight of the seminar was its interactive nature. According to one parent, "The session was very insightful. Most doubts about my son's education were clarified, and I feel much more relieved now."

One of the participants also asked a question regarding dentistry as a profession, to which Deoras replied that it is an undervalued but very rewarding profession in India. Although the early years in practice can be tough, dentistry provides immense long-term growth and financial opportunities.

Deoras also answered some of the audience questions regarding state-wise quotas in MBBS admissions, foreign university application processes, and foreign medical education admission timelines and requirements.

The seminar ended on a positive note with the audience's appreciation for the frankness, hands-on advice, and motivational style.

Zobaida Nasreen, a Dhaka University professor who was one of the strongest voices during last year's student-led protest movement she has now expressed grave concerns over the worsening condition of women in Bangladesh in an interview with News18.

She is on a scholarship in Germany now and said the situation was "pathetic," pointing to how women are increasingly threatened and socially intimidated for voicing opinions in favor of their rights.

While discussing the present condition of the women in the nation she stated, "Women are frightened. Many have begun modifying their dressing sense not due to any legal necessity, but due to increasing social pressure. The psychological and social pressure is immense. They are living in perpetual fear and under huge stress."

Nasreen emphasized the role of women in last year's demonstration and how the attitude changed suddenly towards them.

"This is one of several moves being made to roll back the gains made by the women's movement in Bangladesh. Last year during the protests, there were a lot of women on the streets—even at midnight, in whatever they had worn. Nobody protested then. But now, the very same women are being subjected to abusive language and harassment."

"I also think that the NCP (National Citizen Party) is guilty of this. Their silence is deafening—they have not criticized this backlash, which indirectly condones the targeting of women" she went on to say.

Since the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the establishment of the present Muhammad Yunus-led administration, a women's affairs commission had made draft recommendations.

Commenting on the status of those proposals at the moment, activist Nasreen stated, "The proposals made by the women's commission, aimed at enhancing the status of women in the nation, have been rejected outright by fundamentalist forces. Worse, members of the committee are now openly threatened and maligned, with many being branded as 'sex workers' for silencing and discrediting them."

In a historic ruling that entwines education policy with national administration, the Government of India has rescheduled the Population Census to 2027, with the Union Home Ministry stating that it will do so to prevent disruption in elementary school education after the COVID-19 pandemic. The move followed a day after the Centre announced that both the Census and a national caste enumeration will be conducted in 2027.

It was felt by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that carrying out the Census immediately after the pandemic would have caused massively to interfere with learning for school children by millions. The reasoning is straightforward but compelling—two-thirds of the 30 lakh enumerators for the Census are government primary school teachers, an already strained workforce as schools reverted to physical classrooms following COVID.

“COVID disrupted all sectors, including education,” the MHA posted on X (formerly Twitter). The government emphasized that resuming regular schooling was essential for stabilizing foundational learning, especially after two years of learning loss among children in the critical 6–14 age group.

The data collection for both the Census and caste counting is now to commence at the start of next year, with March 1, 2027 being the reference date. The previous headcount was conducted in 2011, and the 2021 exercise was delayed because of the pandemic. This delay is the longest between two Censuses in India after independence.

The move has been politically questioned. Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin accused the delay in Census as a strategic exercise to affect the state's parliamentary seats after delimitation in 2026. Still, the Home Ministry made it clear that southern states' concerns will be addressed with proper consultation.

The decision signals a forward-looking style of education administration. In placing continuity in the classrooms ahead of administrative haste, the Centre has realized how indispensable teachers are—not only in collecting data but also in defining India's future.

With the Census set to pick up pace with March 1, 2027 as the reference date, it offers a chance to integrate technology, education, and administration towards a more inclusive and equitable India.

Delhi University's School of Open Learning (SOL), set up with the objective of giving classes to students who are unable to attend regular classes, has been tarnished with a shocking revelation. It was recently discovered to have rampant cases of plagiarism and spreading of false information through study material in a recent research. It degrades the standard of education imparted to the students and undermines academic integrity.

The research revealed that SOL course material plagiarized work from Wikipedia and other places and failed to cite them appropriately. The information was outdated, contained factual errors, and inaccuracies as well. This is undermining the quality of education and reputation of the institution.

The effect on students is alarming. Students who have been depending on such materials may end up being instructed with false information, which will hamper their knowledge and future development. This is the reverse of education objectives.

The case alludes to the imperative for stringent quality control and fact-checking protocols in institutions of learning. Universities must ensure academic integrity and provide learners with correct information.

For this, DU has to inquire, take action against the perpetrators, and implement measures to avoid repetition. This consists of systematic audits, plagiarism verification, and revision of study material.

The SOL scandal possibility is an invitation to schools to place importance on quality and integrity. We can make students competent with skills and knowledge by doing this.

Let us talk solutions and responsibility. What is to be done, your say?

Dark Side of Open Learning: Plagiarism and Misinformation in DU's SOL Delhi University's School of Open Learning (SOL), which was set up to educate people who are unable to come to class, has been tainted by a discovery. There has been a recent discovery of massive plagiarism and dissemination of misinformation in its study guides. This leaves the user to subpar education and raises doubts about academic honesty. SOL materials in the research took content from Wikipedia and elsewhere without referencing. Old information, factual errors, and computational errors became common. This is what undermines the institution's credibility and quality of education. The effect on students is appalling. Students who use such materials may end up internalizing false content, influencing learning and future opportunities. This is the opposite of learning. The problem requires extreme quality checks and fact-checking processes inside schools. Academic integrity needs to be given top priority and accurate information must be provided to the students by schools. As a reaction, DU can initiate an inquiry, prosecute the offenders, and take preventive measures against such incidences in the future. It consists of regular audits, plagiarism detection, and course materials being revised. The SOL scandal is an eye-opener for schools to give top priority to integrity and quality. By doing so, we can offer students learning and skill sets to thrive. What solutions and accountability do you suggest we implement?