Edition 083 · learning · India Today Education Desk
Student dissent is not disruption
Indian universities want to counsel students and quell exam protests. This patronising approach infantilises legitimate concerns.
FO Take · Score 20
Universities instructing VCs to "counsel" students out of protesting reveals a deep-seated contempt for student agency. These aren't children having a tantrum; they are adults expressing valid frustrations with a system often rigged against them. Instead of gaslighting, perhaps listen. Or do you fear genuine accountability more than continued dissent?
The strongest counter
Student protests, regardless of their immediate cause, often devolve into unfocused disruption. An orderly educational environment is paramount. Universities are right to defuse agitation for the sake of academic continuity.
