What's in a name? JNU gives Vice-Chancellor's title a ‘gender neutral' twist
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has become the latest varsity to bring in 'gender neutral' designations. It has decided to replace the term kulpati (head of a clan or family) with kulguru (teacher or spiritual guide) as the official designation for the Vice-Chancellor in Hindi, The Indian Express has learnt.
The move also aims to align with ancient academic traditions.
The change, university sources confirmed, was communicated during an Executive Council meeting earlier this year, where Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit suggested the new term be adopted 'for the signature on degree certificates and other academic documents'.
On the title change, Pandit told The Indian Express, 'Kulguru is the most appropriate for a V-C. It is gender neutral. Sanskrit is more accurate, and this reflects my job better as a first among equals in academia.'
JNU's decision follows a similar move in Rajasthan, where the state government in February introduced the Rajasthan Universities' Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The Bill sought to formally replace kulpati and pratikulpati (Pro-Vice-Chancellor) with kulguru and pratikulguru in all state university statutes written in Hindi.
The shift reflects a semantic and philosophical preference: kulpati has long been the formal term for university Vice-Chancellors in Hindi, but some scholars and administrators argue that kulguru — evoking the ancient guru-shishya (teacher-disciple) tradition — better captures the role of an academic head in the Indian knowledge system.
The Rajasthan Bill's Statement of Objects and Reasons cites India's ancient educational model, stating that 'the vice-chancellor is the principal executive and academic officer in state-funded universities of Rajasthan,' and that the nomenclature change is in keeping with the guru-shishya parampara.'
The Bill was passed in March.
Last year, the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet, too, passed a similar proposal.
In a statement, the MP government in July last year had said, 'It was decided that Vice-Chancellor (kulpati) would now be known as kulgurus in universities. The feeling of affinity, affection, and respect is also inherent in this address. These decisions were approved by the Council of State Ministers.'
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