The Delhi High Court has stayed proceedings in a criminal defamation case filed against Sudarshan TV and its editor Suresh Chavhanke in connection with allegations that his channel made false accusations against a madrasa. The case against Chavhanke was filed by Mohammed Tufail Khan
The Trump Intervention That Got the DOJ Off Live Nation’s Back Antitrust case started out aiming to force the concert giant to sell Ticketmaster. After two White House meetings, a deal kept the company intact. Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 14:02:07 IST WSJ Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link The
China said on Sunday (August 23, 2026) it was postponing its planned ambitious Chang'e-7 lunar mission, which was set to carry out explorations including searching for water ice on the moon. The Chang'e-7 spacecraft was originally set to lift off in the coming days from the Wenchang Space Launch
Canada’s Carney Puts His ‘No Deal Is Better Than a Bad Deal’ Doctrine to the Test The prime minister ’s approach has broad support from the Canadian public and his political opponents, but it isn’t without risks. Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 14:05:27 IST WSJ Prefer HTon Google Share via
An Indian national was killed in a shooting incident in New York on Friday night, said the Indian consulate general in the city. The man, Gurdeep Singh, was killed on Crescent Street in the city’s Brooklyn area, in what police believe may have been a road rage incident, CBS News reported
A group of former cricket captains, including Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar and one of England's longest-serving skippers Sir Alastair Cook, have called on Pakistan to ensure its ex-PM Imran Khan be given proper care while in custody. The cricketer-turned-politician has been in jail since
Fewer than 20 commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz at the weekend, shipping data showed on Monday (August 24, 2026), as Iranian and U.S. blockades restrict traffic through the chokepoint for energy shipments. Four vessels crossed the strait on Sunday (August 23, 2026)
India had asked the United States not to allow reporters to ask questions during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France in June, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Saturday
What Jammu University gets wrong about removing ‘Muslim’ thinkers from the syllabus
The recommendation by a committee at Jammu University on March 22 to purge material about Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Syed Ahmed Khan and Muhammad Iqbal from the MA Political Science syllabus is a distressing signal about the state of higher education in India.
The decision has been framed as a response to public sentiment, but it is a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of a university. Aristotle once said that it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
By removing apparently “controversial” figures, the university is telling its postgraduate students, who are ostensibly being trained for high-level analysis, that they are not intellectually mature enough to study the architects of the subcontinent’s history without being “corrupted” by them.
The primary casualty of this erasure is critical thinking. Studying the Two-Nation Theory advanced by Iqbal and Jinnah, alongside Khan’s concepts of Muslim distinctiveness, is essential to understanding the evolution of Muslim political dynamics in South Asia. Not reading the primary proponents of those ideas is akin to studying the French Revolution without mentioning the Jacobins or the Cold War without reading Karl Marx.
When a curriculum is sanitised to include only thinkers deemed “acceptable”, it ceases to be a tool of education and becomes an exercise in indoctrination. If students are not exposed to conflicting, uncomfortable, and even antagonistic ideas, the classroom transforms into a sterile echo chamber.
Understanding Jinnah or Iqbal is a prerequisite for understanding the modern Indian state, its borders and its constitutional journey. To ignore them is to leave a vacuum in a student’s historical consciousness – a vacuum that will inevitably be filled by polemics rather than scholarship.
The controversy often stems from a reductionist view of these figures as mere villains of Partition. However, scholarship suggests a far more nuanced and often contradictory reality. In her seminal work, Secular and Nationalist Jinnah, Ajeet Javed meticulously documents the secular aspects of Jinnah’s early politics.
Before Jinnah’s communal pivot, he was hailed as an “ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity”, a legal thinker who staunchly opposed the mixing of religion with mass politics. Students deserve to analyse this metamorphosis – not to praise the man, but to understand the political failures and the hardening of identities in the 1930s and ’40s that led to such a shift.
Similarly, Rajmohan Gandhi in Understanding the Muslim Mind provides a balanced lens on Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Muhammad Iqbal. Gandhi illustrates that Khan’s primary impetus was the modernisation of the Muslim community through Western education and scientific temper.
The career of Iqbal, the “poet-philosopher”, is equally layered. While he is celebrated in Pakistan, his earlier poems, such as Tarana-e-Hindi, remain foundational to the Indian soul.
To truly understand the “adventure of ideas” that defines the subcontinent, one must look at the syncretism that often defined these thinkers. Iqbal was a philosopher rooted in India.
In his famous poem Ram, featured in his book Bang-e-Dara, Iqbal elevates Ram to a position of supreme spiritual leadership, famously referring to him as Imam-e-Hind – the Spiritual Leader of India.
For Iqbal, Ram represented the pinnacle of ethical conduct. In removing Iqbal, the university removes the record of this syncretic heritage. Without exposure to such verses, students are left with a one-dimensional caricature, losing the chance to ask the vital historical question: How did a poet who praised Ram as the soul of India eventually come to envision a separate state? Engaging with this transition is the very “dissection” Aristotle spoke of.
Rafiq Zakaria, in Iqbal: The Poet and the Politician, notes that Iqbal’s transition from a poet of universalism to a proponent of a separate Muslim identity was a complex reaction to the socio-political anxieties of the 1930s. If a master’s student of political science is denied the opportunity to grapple with these contradictions, they are being denied the tools to understand the roots of South Asian political thought.
The removal of Syed Ahmed Khan ignores one of the most significant intellectual reforms in South Asian history. Long before he was a political figure, Khan was a champion of rationalism and a pioneer of scientific temperament. His approach to the Quran was radical for its time. He famously argued that the word of god (scripture) cannot contradict the work of god (nature). He insisted that if a traditional religious interpretation contradicted the proven laws of science, the interpretation must be re-evaluated. This “naturalist” (nechari) approach sought to bridge the gap between faith and the burgeoning scientific age.
For Khan, any religious belief that shackled the human mind or prevented the adoption of modern scientific education was a misinterpretation of the faith. In his Tafsir-ul-Quran, Commentary on the Quran, he challenged traditional dogmas. He was sceptical of supernatural phenomena that violated the laws of physics. He often interpreted Quranic accounts of miracles – such as the splitting of the sea or the nature of angels and jinns – as metaphors or psychological states, rather than literal, physical disruptions of the natural order.
He argued that many legal injunctions in the Quran were specific to the socio-historical context of seventh-century Arabia and were not intended to be immutable laws for all eternity. This distinction between the essential faith and accidental social laws was a landmark in modern Islamic reform.
This heterodoxy was the driving force behind the Aligarh Movement. When Khan founded Aligarh Muslim University in 1875, he wanted to create a “learned mind” that could, as Aristotle suggested, entertain modern, Western scientific thought without losing its cultural identity.
By removing Khan from the political science syllabus, the Jammu University is erasing the history of indigenous secularism and rationalist reform. Without understanding Khan’s appeal to reason, students lose the context of the internal debates that shaped the modern South Asian identity. To study the “Muslim mind” without its most prominent rationalist is to study a caricature. By erasing Khan’s philosophy, the university succumbs to demands of the modern-day echo chamber while denying students the tools to navigate the complexities of the past.
The head of the Political Science Department at Jammu University, Baljit Singh Mann, correctly argued that the inclusion of these thinkers is consistent with the norms and curricula of the University Grants Commission, followed by premier universities nationwide.
Universities must be spaces where diverse viewpoints are presented for critical evaluation instead of being sidelined fearing controversy.
Shielding students from the “unpleasant” parts of history, produces graduates who are ill-equipped to defend the democratic and secular values of India against uninformed critique.
Faisal CK is Deputy Law Secretary to the Government of Kerala. Views are personal.
Source: Scroll
Related Posts: India, iqbal ram poem, jammu university syllabus, jinnah indian history, higher education india, Syed Ahmed Khan, Pakistan, Partition, Jammu University, Muhammad Iqbal
Former Australian captain Greg Chappell with the support of 20 other former international skippers appealed to the Pakistan Government led by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, to provide ‘humane treatment and proper medical care’ for Imran Khan
11 hours ago
The shock resignation of Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran earlier this month has left corporate India's top job vacant. But finding his successor will be no easy task for the country's most revered conglomerate, whose sprawling $300bn empire spans Jaguar Land Rover and Air India as well as
11 hours ago
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian defended a memorandum of understanding with the United States as the best way out of a stalled war. Meanwhile, the new head of the Islamic Republic's top security body warned, in a more forceful tone, of retaliation if neighbouring countries support U.S
11 hours ago
Authorities in China have launched an investigation into reports of formaldehyde being used to preserve the freshness of cabbages for human consumption. Officials in the northeastern Hebei province confirmed that they had verified footage showing individuals dipping cabbages in a solution before
11 hours ago
Three newborns died after a fire that broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit of a government hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati district in the early hours of Monday, PTI reported. The fire broke out at the Amravati District Women’s Hospital around 3
11 hours ago
Imran's party demands immediate cardiac care for him at Shifa International Hospital Imran's party demands immediate cardiac care for him at Shifa International Hospital Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 11:10:49 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Islamabad
11 hours ago
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s three-day visit to New Delhi in July 2026 for the India-Japan summit appears to have elevated relations between the two Asian countries into a fresh phase of strategic expansion. Ties had already undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade
11 hours ago
How well do COVID antivirals actually work? Not as well as we thought How well do COVID antivirals actually work? Not as well as we thought Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 11:11:50 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Sydeny, If you're aged over 70
11 hours ago
On Sunday, in a post on X, Wali said the audio contained "explosive evidence" and claimed that Brar admitted his gang had ordered Nijjar's killing, alleging that the assassination was driven by an inter-gang feud. Ottawa: Three years after NIA designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in
14 hours ago
Until recently, there would have been little to distinguish Vietnam's so-called Justice Tree from the hundreds of others lining the streets of Hanoi. Then the bouquets started piling up. It was here that former politician Nguyen Sy Cuong was driving his BMW in May last year when he veered into the
14 hours ago
Fast-fashion giant Shein says it plans to raise up to HK13.86bn (£1.3bn; $1.77bn) when its shares start trading on the Hong Kong stock market on 1 September. In a filing on Monday, Shein said it will offer nearly 280 million shares for between HK$47.60 and HK$49.50
14 hours ago
A fast-moving, wind-driven wildfire near Reno, Nevada, has forced about 42,000 people to evacuate, while another 45,000 have been urged to prepare to leave. The Hawk Fire has burned 15,040 acres, destroyed some homes and injured six people. Officials declared a state of emergency as the blaze
14 hours ago
Former Indian diplomat Navdeep Suri has raised concerns about the verification process under the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Suri, a retired Indian Foreign Services officer, went through the process in Punjab. It is among the 16 states where the voter roll revision is being
14 hours ago
A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early Sunday (August 23, 2026), injuring more than 20 people, most of them slightly, officials said. There was no danger of a tsunami. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency
1 days ago
Chinese humanoid robots broke records set by humans, including beating Usain Bolt’s 100-meter sprint world record, on the opening day of the Olympics-like World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday (August 22, 2026). More than 2,000 humanoid robots were participating in the event
1 days ago
One afternoon in 1907, a young accountant named Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman walked into the laboratory of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science at 210 Bowbazar Street in Calcutta. Though he had a passion for the sciences, colonial India offered no stable careers in the field
1 days ago
Three first information reports were filed against 14 identified and more than 200 unidentified persons on Saturday in connection with clashes between the police and student protesters a day earlier, PTI quoted Ranchi Superintendent of Police Paras Rana as saying
1 days ago
Did an Amazon delivery guy assault a 71-year-old man in California? What we know about the attack and lawsuit A California lawsuit alleged that an Amazon delivery driver assaulted a 71-year-old man at an Elk Grove gas station. Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
‘Pure evil’: Videos of mothers splashing water at their kids spark outrage amid Lindsay Clancy trial Social media videos of mothers throwing water at their children have sparked concerns amid Lindsay Clancy's trial. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
The sister of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday (August 22, 2026) filed a petition in the Supreme Court, accusing the government and senior officials of violating the top court’s order to shift him to a private hospital for medical examination and treatment
1 days ago
The United States and Canada have entered into uncharted territory. The longtime allies and economic partners, who have enjoyed free trade for decades, are now in an escalating trade war with no clear off ramp. And for Prime Minister Mark Carney
1 days ago
Harrisburg weather update: Special Weather Statement issued for central Pennsylvania as thunderstorms bring 40mph wind NWS has issued a Special Weather Statement for Harrisburg and surrounding parts of central Pennsylvania. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
The police in Maharashtra’s Latur have registered a first information report against Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party political campaign, for allegedly entering a government school without permission, threatening teachers and defaming the institution
1 days ago
The United States and Iran exchanged defiant messages ahead of Monday’s (August 24, 2026) scheduled announcement of new U.S. economic sanctions that could impact the Islamic Republic and Tehran’s most important trading partners including China
1 days ago
Fourteen people were killed in military air strikes at a monastery in Myanmar early on Friday, opposition fighters and a local rescue worker have said. All of those killed were elderly and a number of monks were also injured, the rescue worker told BBC Burmese, adding that the site was struck twice
1 days ago
Deadly airstrikes in Gaza killed at least ten people on Wednesday. These attacks occurred just days after U.S. negotiators asked Israel to reduce its actions. Israeli troops also crossed the Gaza ceasefire line and detained a Hamas official. The ongoing conflict has killed over seventy-three
1 days ago
The Armed Forces Tribunal on Thursday upheld an administrative censure for a brigadier who was commanding a sector of the Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district in December 2023 when three civilians died during an interrogation following a militant attack
1 days ago
