Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday expressed concern at political interference in the working of universities and said "a dysfunctional education system can only produce dysfunctional future citizens."
"I am concerned that in many states, university appointments, including that of vice-chancellors, have been politicised and have become subject to caste and communal considerations," the prime minister observed.
"There are complaints of favouritism and corruption. This is not as it should be," Manmohan Singh told an event here to celebrate 150 years of the University of Mumbai, one of the country's oldest universities.
"We should free university appointments from unnecessary interventions on the part of governments and must promote autonomy and accountability. I urge states to pay greater attention to this aspect," he said.
"After all, a dysfunctional education system can only produce dysfunctional future citizens!" Manmohan Singh said, and added: "I do believe our universities need and deserve better leadership and more transparent, efficient and liberal governance systems."
He said that a university should be a community that is imbued by values of social justice, liberalism, pluralism, secularism and the pursuit of excellence.