UGC seeks report from Sharda University on 'objectionable' question
New Delhi (PTI): The University Grants Commission (UGC) sought a report from the Sharda University on Monday about an "objectionable" question asked by it in an exam on similarities between Hindutva and fascism.
The higher education regulator has asked the Greater Noida-based private university to explain in the detailed action-taken report the steps taken by it to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
"It has been noticed that the students objected to the question and filed a complaint with the university. Needless to say that asking students such a question is against the spirit and ethos of our country, which is known for inclusivity and homogeneity and such questions have not been asked," the UGC said in a communication to the Sharda University.
The Political Science (Honours) question in the BA first-year paper asked the students about "Hindutva-Fascism". The question carrying seven marks read, "Do you find any similarities between Fascism/Nazism and Hindu right-wing (Hindutva)? Elaborate with arguments."
After the question paper went viral on social media platforms, the university formed a three-member committee to "look into the possibility of bias in the questions".
In a statement issued on Saturday, it said the committee has found the question objectionable and for the purpose of evaluation, it may be ignored by the evaluators.
The university has also issued a show-cause notice to the faculty member who had set the question paper.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
