Bihar Guv directs V-Cs to restore JP, Lohiya in syllabus; Edu minister says removal not right

This came after backlash to omission of topis about the two leaders from the new post-graduation syllabus of political science at JP University (JPU) in Chhapra.

Governor Phagu Chauhan, who happens to be the chancellor of state universities, Thursday directed vice-chancellors to include topics on social thinkers like Ram Manohar Lohiya and Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan in the universities’ syllabi through due procedure.

Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan (HT FIle)

This came after backlash to omission of topis about the two leaders from the new post-graduation syllabus of political science at JP University (JPU) in Chhapra.

“These leaders have had profound impact on the masses and a large number of people actively participated in the JP movement. So, the students of Bihar must get to study about them,” he said.

Education minister Vijay Kumar. Choudhary, who met the Governor on Monday in this regard, presented the government’s viewpoint before the V-Cs and the sensitivity of the matter. “Honouring the sentiments of the people of the state, it is extremely important to restore the topics in the syllabus,” he added.

Choudhary said that thinkers like Lohiya and Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan we’re role models not only in the state, but the country over and the state’s politics had deep imprint of the ideology of JP. He thanked the Governor for calling a meeting of V-Cs on the issue. “Other courses will also be made more relevant as per modern needs through prescribed norms and vetting from the Bihar state higher education council and the Raj Bhawan,” he added.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is himself a product of the JP movement, had also expressed his surprise and dismay at the removal of topics related to JP in whose name the institution was established in 1990 and asked the education minister to resolve it.

RJD chief also expressed his anguish and sought immediate intervention from the matter and had blamed the RSS for the change through his tweets.

During the meeting, the discussion also revolved around stepping up efforts for accreditation of state institutions from the NAAC, appointment of principals, implementation of choice-based credit system (CBCS) at the under-graduate level and other issues. Many constituent colleges in Bihar are without full-time principals for a long time and are under additional charge, while CBCS has remained stuck in colleges and NAAC accreditation is very slow in the state despite the deadline of 2022 for all institutions in the country.