Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s exit result of his role as govt’s critic’: Ashoka University faculty

Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The faculty and students at the Ashoka University issued strong statements in support of political commentator Pratap Bhanu Mehta, who resigned from the university two days back citing infringement on academic freedom. They demanded the university administration urge him to join back.

Mehta’s exit was followed by the resignation of noted economist and former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian a day later, who rued in his letter that the institution “even with its private status and private capital can no longer provide space for academic expression and freedom”.

Mehta, who had left the chair of the university’s vice-chancellor two years back, in an email to his students Wednesday evening — a day after he put in his papers, had hinted that a discussion with the university regarding the “prevailing circumstances” led to his exit.

“The decision to leave Ashoka was not an easy one, especially because of the exceptional quality of students I have been privileged to teach,” he wrote. “But after discussions with the university about the prevailing circumstances, it became clear to me that it was best to move on. Hence, I took the decision to resign.”

Faculty at @AshokaUniv issue a strong worded statement in support of Pratap Bhanu Mehta