New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that years of “silence and decadence” under her leadership have weakened state institutions and that she was disturbed by the growing demand for their revival.
The remarks came after Banerjee criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his comments on Jadavpur University, saying it undermined a premier institution known for academic excellence.
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Citing the findings of a UGC expert committee at Jadavpur University, which was formed after the death of a first-year student, he said the committee described the university’s anti-ragging framework as “weak and lackluster” and pointed to “serious administrative failures characterized by apathy, negligence and a worrying absence of accountability”.
He said: “The committee found that institutional safeguards had weakened, that management had become ineffective, and that the system had failed to respond with the seriousness expected of a leading university.”
Pradhan added that the findings were “so severe” that the committee recommended reducing the university’s capital by 10% and offering recurring grants for non-compliance with user-generated content regulations.
He further claimed that the Trinamool Congress government had shown “little intention to address deeper structural failures”, claiming that “too often universities are viewed through the prism of political influence rather than academic responsibility”.
He added: “What has worried Mamata Banerjee is not the criticism, but the possibility that Bengal is beginning to realize how deeply its policies have eroded institutions that were once respected beyond the borders of the state.”
“The people of Bengal can see that the real threat to their institutions came from years of silence, decadence and politics that turned pride into paralysis. What really worries them is that Bengal is no longer willing to accept decline as fate, and that the demand for renewal is now stronger than the politics that tried to suppress it,” Pradhan added.
At a rally in Howrah on Friday, Banerjee said Modi insulted Jadavpur University (JU) as well as higher education institutions like Calcutta University (CU), Presidency University and St. Xavier University, known for their academic excellence and rich talent pool of students, researchers and academics in the country and abroad for years.
“Before talking like this about the University of Jamaica, he should check the NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) rankings of the University of Juba currently and in the past years. Such comments by the Prime Minister show his anti-Bengali and undemocratic mentality against free thinking,” she said.
Modi launched a blistering attack on the TMC, alleging that the Mamata Banerjee-led party has destroyed the state’s identity through corruption and infiltration and turned premier institutions like Jadavpur University into symbols of chaos and political intimidation.
The Prime Minister also referred to the frequent unrest at Jadavpur University, saying that the flagship university, which was globally respected for its academic heritage, has become a symbol of chaos under the current regime.
“Jadavpur University was once spoken of with great respect. Its foundation was built on strong academic values. But today, people are being threatened, and students are being forced to protest,” he said.
Alleging that anti-national slogans are being written on campus walls and students are being pushed into protests instead of studying, Modi said a government that cannot protect its premier educational institutions cannot protect the future of Bengal.
“We don’t want chaos, we want a healthy academic environment. We want dialogue here, not threats,” he said.
