Row erupts as DU asks prof Apoorvanand for US lecture text to approve travel

New Delhi: Delhi University (DU) professor Apoorvanand Jha claims that the university administration has advised him to submit the text of his proposed lecture at an academic event in the United States for travel approval.

There was no reaction available from the DU administration.

Jha has called the move “unprecedented”, saying it undermines the university’s autonomy and academic freedom.

Delhi Unv adm wants to vet and approve the text of my talk for the India China Institute, New School(New York)event and seek the advice of the government to decide about granting me leave. How should a teacher respond to a demand like this? https://t.co/HdP9SXSJrF

— Apoorvanand अपूर्वानंद (@Apoorvanand__) April 17, 2025

Seminar titled ‘The University Under a Global Authoritarian Turn’

A faculty member in the Hindi department, Jha has been invited to speak at a seminar, titled “The University Under a Global Authoritarian Turn”, as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the India China Institute at The New School, New York, scheduled from April 23 to May 1.

Talking to PTI, Jha said, “I received a mail from the registrar’s office asking me to submit the text of my speech for approval. In my view, this is very alarming. We are losing the DU’s autonomy willingly. This is unprecedented as something like this has never happened before.”

The professor said he had submitted his leave application more than 35 days in advance through the university’s online Samarth portal, but received a mail from the DU on April 2, which stated that the university was “unable to grant permission” and needed to seek advice from the Union Ministry of Education.

In a letter addressed to DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on April 15, Jha wrote, “I fail to understand what made the university forgo the principle of institutional autonomy and invite intervention of an outside agency, in this case the Union government, in a matter of granting leave.”

No rule requiring a govt clearance: Apoorvanand

In a written response to the registrar’s office, the professor noted that there is no rule requiring a government clearance for faculty travel or leave. “You said you were not aware of any specific rule under which the permission of the ministry is required. From our conversation, I concluded that the university is proactively, without any required law, rule or regulation, sending my leave application to the ministry,” Jha wrote in his response.

“You kindly suggested that I should share my talk to be given at the India China Institute of the New School, which could be attached with the file to make it easy for the ministry to take a decision. Does it mean that the content of my talk would now be vetted before permission for participation in an academic event be given?” he asked.

DTF terms DU’s action as ‘attack on academic freedom’

The Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), in a letter, condemned the university’s action as “arbitrary” and “an attack on academic freedom”. The teachers’ body described the demand for speech vetting as “an act of censorship” and accused the administration of harming the institution’s autonomy.

It added that denying permission for such academic engagements damages the university’s global reputation and reflects a deeper erosion of institutional integrity.

Jha also took to social media to express his concern, posting on X: “Delhi Univ adm wants to vet and approve the text of my talk for the India China Institute, New School (New York) event and seek the advice of the government to decide about granting me leave. How should a teacher respond to a demand like this?”

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