Ashoka University: Correspondence on Professor P. B. Mehta’s Resignation (2021)

First posted March 22, 2021 NB: Appended below are documents which appeared in the public domain between March 17 and March 21. (The Joint Statement is curious for bearing the signatures of the two departing scholars, who apparently refer to themselves in the third person). The contrast between the content of the first three letters… Read More Ashoka University: Correspondence on Professor P. B. Mehta’s Resignation (2021)

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First independent report into Xinjiang genocide allegations claims evidence of Beijing's 'intent to destroy' Uyghur people

The Chinese government’s alleged actions in Xinjiang have violated every single provision in the United Nations’ Genocide Convention, according to an independent report by more than 50 global experts in international law, genocide and the China region. The report, released Tuesday by the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy think tank in Washington DC, claimed the Chinese government “bears state responsibility… Read More First independent report into Xinjiang genocide allegations claims evidence of Beijing's 'intent to destroy' Uyghur people

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Owen Jones: The planet cannot survive our remorseless pursuit of profit

Oil companies knew 50 years ago the huge damage they were doing. Their motive to ignore it is the same now as it was then. Capitalism is on a collision course with human life and the future of our planet. Each year, air pollution takes more lives than smoking: the last estimate suggests 8.8m deaths across the… Read More Owen Jones: The planet cannot survive our remorseless pursuit of profit

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Boris Johnson government in ‘scandalous’ breach of Ministerial Code. By Seth Thévoz

Exclusive: Large payments to Johnson and ministers have been kept secret for months – fuelling controversy over lavish Downing Street refurbishment, and much more..   Boris Johnson’s government is breaking its own transparency rules by allowing large payments to the prime minister and other ministers to be kept secret for up to eight months, openDemocracy has… Read More Boris Johnson government in ‘scandalous’ breach of Ministerial Code. By Seth Thévoz

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Ashoka students call for class boycott next week, demand university reinstate Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Arvind Subramanian // Over 150 international academicians come out in support of PB Mehta

NB: These are democratic and justifiable demands. The founders must relinquish direct control of the University’s academic affairs. Ashoka University is an educational institution, not a private limited company. DS    The student government at Ashoka University has called for a two-day boycott of classes starting Monday to protest the resignation of their teachers, Pratap… Read More Ashoka students call for class boycott next week, demand university reinstate Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Arvind Subramanian // Over 150 international academicians come out in support of PB Mehta

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Founders made clear I was political liability for Ashoka University: Pratap Bhanu Mehta

“My public writing in support of a politics that tries to honour constitutional values of freedom and equal respect for all citizens, is perceived to carry risks for the university… It is clear it is time for me to leave Ashoka. A liberal university will need a liberal political and social context to flourish. I… Read More Founders made clear I was political liability for Ashoka University: Pratap Bhanu Mehta

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Erin Brockovich – Plummeting sperm counts, shrinking penises: toxic chemicals threaten humanity

Swan’s book is staggering in its findings. “In some parts of the world, the average twentysomething woman today is less fertile than her grandmother was at 35,” Swan writes. In addition to that, Swan finds that, on average, a man today will have half of the sperm his grandfather had. “The current state of reproductive… Read More Erin Brockovich – Plummeting sperm counts, shrinking penises: toxic chemicals threaten humanity

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STATEMENT BY ASHOKA UNIVERSITY FACULTY – March 18, 2021

To, Professor Malabika Sarkar, Vice Chancellor  Mr. Ashish Dhawan, Chairman of Board of Trustees Ashoka University. The resignation of Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta from Ashoka University on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 is a matter of great anguish for the university faculty. It is not just an occasion for sorrow over the departure of a deeply… Read More STATEMENT BY ASHOKA UNIVERSITY FACULTY – March 18, 2021

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We Can't Treat Pratap Bhanu Mehta's Resignation from Ashoka as a 'Personal Decision'// Arvind Subramanian resigns from Ashoka University in protest

NB: Ideology is a form of silence; the enforcement of ideology is the enforcement of silence. DS   Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s resignation from the Ashoka University must not be treated as a decision taken for personal reasons. It should be a matter of public concern, even though he was teaching at a private university. We need not explain why.… Read More We Can't Treat Pratap Bhanu Mehta's Resignation from Ashoka as a 'Personal Decision'// Arvind Subramanian resigns from Ashoka University in protest

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