Higher Education in Crisis: Political Interference Threatens India’s Universities
Anusha Paul | 15 July 2025 | Deshabhimani
Thiruvananthapuram: The ongoing conflict in Kerala over the appointment of Vice-Chancellors (VCs) in state universities has once again thrown a spotlight on the crumbling state of higher education governance in India. What may seem like a local power struggle between the Kerala government and the Governor is, in reality, part of a much wider pattern of institutional decay under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led union government.
In Kerala, the standoff began when former Governor Arif Mohammed Khan-who also served as the Chancellor of the state's universities-accused the Left-led state government of bypassing established procedures and interfering with university autonomy. The state, in turn, pushed back, arguing that the Governor was exceeding his constitutional authority and attempting to push the BJP's agenda-driven by the ideological influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-onto Kerala's education system. This has led to delays in appointments, legal battles, and uncertainty in several universities…