‘Unnecessary controversy’ about the new course in the fight against terrorism: Vice President of the Jawaharlal Nehru University

Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar said Wednesday there was “undue debate” about a new counter-terrorism course, without delving into its academic merits. Her comments came amid criticism from a section of professors and students for the content of the course taught to engineering students.

He said that the way things have developed in the Indian neighborhood has proven to be very detrimental to the country’s national security, while emphasizing that it is essential that an academic institution like JNU take the lead and create a good group of specialists in the fight against terrorism.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Arvind Kumar, who designed the course, said Tuesday that it is not aimed at any society and is a purely academic exercise.

NU established the Faculty of Engineering in 2018 with a dual degree program. At this school, students take engineering subjects in the first four years to obtain a bachelor’s degree and in the fifth year, they register for a one-year master’s degree (MS) in any of the areas of humanities, social sciences, languages ​​and relationships  and administration, science and engineering, explained the vice president.

“This is in line with the 2020 National Education Policy which aims to provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary education for students. In this context, the JNU Academic Council approved three new courses on August 17. struggles, “she said in a statement. Strategies for cooperation among major powers” and “India’s emerging vision of the world in the 21st century” and “The importance of science and technology in international relations.”

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A section of professors and students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University opposed the introduction of the course, claiming that it claims that “jihadist terrorism” is the only form of “religious fundamentalist terrorism.”

The course, entitled “Countering Terrorism, Asymmetric Conflicts and Co-operation Strategies Among Major Powers,” affirms that the communist regimes of the Soviet Union and China were sponsors of terrorism that affected radical Islamic countries, according to her. “In recent days, an unnecessary controversy has arisen over the first course without delving into its academic merits. The objective of the course” Counter terrorism, Asymmetric Conflicts and Cooperation

Strategies among the Great Powers “is essentially an in-depth understanding of the challenges posed by the terrorism for India’s national security and how it can do it. It is up to India to be equipped with the proper responses should any eventuality arise. “

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The Vice Chancellor said that India urgently needs a critical mass of specialists in this field, adding that the curriculum has been designed with global terrorist activities and India’s experiences in dealing with them in mind.

“There is a need to further develop the perspective of India in a balanced and objective way. This course has the potential to build a strong narrative of India. A deep understanding of the various global and regional terrorist networks is part of the plan of studies of this course ”said Mr. Kumar.

“The way India has witnessed the rise of religious fundamentalism and radicalism through harmful ideologies in its neighborhood is an area that requires a lot of knowledge to deal with emerging situations. Students in educational institutions in India need to be aware these complexities and encourage them to develop effective strategies. “

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He stressed that the curriculum is holistic, saying it contains sections on the role of intelligence and counter-terrorism cooperation among major powers and a section on counter-terrorism best practices and key global and regional efforts to combat terrorism. “Anti-terrorism science and technology will also be taught to students. This course will provide broad knowledge to engineering students. At JNU, we will continue to foster critical thinking as the university is a free research place where they find disparate ideas encouraged to prosper.