8/12/2019 Beyond Tipus name _ The Hindu

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Opinion Editorial

Published: January 31, 2013 00:43 IST | Updated: January 31, 2013 00:43 IST

Beyond Tipus name

It is by any measure a curius hi!her educatin initiati"e: #i"e ne$ %minrity& uni"ersities t be set up under theae!is # the Unin 'inistry # 'inrity (##airs, run as %public)pri"ate& partnerships, and lcated in #i"e States # thecuntry that ha"e si*eable minrity ppulatins+ The scheme, mted by Unin 'inister #r 'inrity (##airs +-ahman han, and currently under deliberatin by a team # educatin e.perts led by Indian /uncil # ScialScience -esearch chairpersn Suhade Thrat, is still "ery much at the dra$in!)bard sta!e+ $e"er, theannuncement by 'r+ han that ne # the uni"ersities $uld be set up in Sriran!apatna and named a#ter TipuSultan, the icnic 1th century ruler # 'ysre $h made the ri"er)island his capital, dre$ the predictable rar #prtest #rm thse uarters in arnataa that ha"e been cnsistently hstile t the secular and pr!ressi"e le!acy #Tipu Sultan+ The i!her ducatin minister in the 5haratiya Janata Party !"ernment, /+T+ -a"i&s statedppsitin t a 6'uslim7 uni"ersity named a#ter a 6#rei!ner7 is nt nly a"$edly cmmunal but misleadin! t+The uni"ersity, i# and $hen it cmes int e.istence, $ill be a %minrity& institutin and nt be 8ust #r 'uslims+Secndly, thu!h the present !"ernment has in the past tried hard t e.rcise Tipu #rm schl te.tbs, hiscntributins t the #i!ht a!ainst clnialism is an inalienable part # ur histry+ It is there#re entirely #ittin! thata centre # hi!her educatin t be set up in Sriran!apatna be named a#ter him+

're prblematic, h$e"er, is the le!al and 8urisdictinal ambi!uity in the "ery scheme # settin! up a strin! #minrity uni"ersities+ ( se"en)member e.pert cmmittee under Pr#essr Thrat, $hich is t submit its reprt n9ebruary 1, is t cnsider $hether these institutins $ill be set up under an (ct # Parliament r as autnmusinstitutins # natinal imprtance+ (s these uni"ersities $ill cme directly under the "erarchin! 8urisdictin # the'inistry #r uman -esurce ;e"elpment, they are clearly incmpatible as enterprises based n %public)pri"ate&partnership+ Indeed the cheuered trac recrd # this mdel in ther spheres is a serius cause #r cncern+ TheSachar /mmittee -eprt nted that nly #ur per cent # 'uslims in India are !raduates, and that the !ap bet$een'uslims and ther sci)reli!ius cate!ries increases as the le"el # educatin increases+ (' | http:??$$$+thehindu+cm?pinin?editrial?beynd)tipus)name?article43@11+ece

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