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Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Two new campuses coming up, Ambedkar University set to shift from Kashmere Gate site
With two new campuses under construction in Northwest Delhi's Dheerpur and Rohini, Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) is set to relocate from its heritage campus in Kashmere Gate. While the Dheerpur campus, spanning 4.95 acres, is being developed at a cost of Rs 1,199.02 crore, the Rohini campus, spread across 20 acres, will be set up for a cost of Rs 1,107.56 crore, The Indian Express has learnt. Both projects received statutory clearances in 2022, and the construction is underway. Vice-Chancellor Anu Singh Lather said the move was necessitated by infrastructural limitations and long-term maintenance costs at the existing site. 'The university building that we are functioning out of is a very old heritage building. We have maintained it well, but we will have to move out of here soon,' said Lather. 'It will take at least a couple of years for the construction of the new campuses to end and for us to relocate.' The current campus at Lothian Road in Kashmere Gate sits on a 3-acre site housing a 400-year-old building complex. According to the university's website, it has 'well-stocked libraries, reading rooms, online journals and computer labs,' as well as 'classrooms equipped with audio-visual equipment and WiFi connectivity'. Hostel facilities are available only for women. In addition to Kashmere Gate, AUD has been operating a 6.5-acre campus in Karampura on Shivaji Marg since 2016-17. Originally housing Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College and before that Shivaji College, the Karampura campus has been retrofitted with modern infrastructure. 'The Karampura campus has all the facilities that the Kashmere Gate campus have — technology-enabled AC classrooms, library, computer labs, student activity areas, playgrounds and cafeteria,' the university website states. Currently, over 800 students study at Karampura campus, which is also home to the School of Global Affairs (since 2018), and is expected to house the School of Vocational Studies and the School of Law and Governance in the coming years. A training kitchen and restaurant have also been set up for students of tourism and hospitality programmes. Established in 2008 by the Delhi government, AUD focuses on the humanities and social sciences and is expanding to accommodate growing academic and infrastructural needs.
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Violence of any kind in society should not be overlooked: Ambedkar University Delhi V-C amid unrest on campus
Amid growing campus unrest and allegations of a crackdown on dissent, Vice-Chancellor of Dr B R Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD), Anu Singh Lather, has defended the administration's actions and her own controversial Republic Day speech, insisting that the university remains a democratic space that respects academic freedom. 'Violence of any kind in any society should not be overlooked,' Lather told The Indian Express, as she addressed the months-long tension triggered by a student's suspension, faculty disciplinary proceedings, and demonstrations over her speech that praised the Ram Mandir and urged that B R Ambedkar be seen as a national figure. In her Republic Day speech, Lather had referred to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement as a 525-year-old issue, applauded the construction of the Ram Temple and called for Dr B R Ambedkar to be a recognised as a national figure instead of being seen only as a Dalit. It had drawn sharp criticism from student activists and some faculty members, who said it politicised an academic platform and undermined AUD's ethos. The unrest began in March after a final-year MA student was suspended for six months for allegedly criticising Lather's speech in an email sent through AUD's official internal system. The Proctorial Board, citing 'indiscipline' and the use of 'derogatory and disrespectful language against the Head of the Institution', had suspended and barred the student from the campus. 'We found out about the student's comments through an email that she had written,' Lather said. 'My only appeal to my students is to not distort anything I say. My comments on the Ram Janmabhoomi in my speech can be found in the video online. They should not be viewed with an agenda. AUD is a democratic space and all ideologies have a space on this campus. We do not punish students for sharing their views on campus as long it does not cross a line,' she added. Lather further said, 'Even in the case of the MA student, there is a certain policy and certain bodies take cognizance of actions by students on campus. The Proctorial Board had decided to take action against the student. I had intervened and later on written to the board to take a lenient view on the student's case.' In April, protests had intensified after associate professor Kaustav Banerjee was issued a show-cause notice for allegedly 'inciting disorder' during a student-led demonstration. The notice accused him of delivering a 'provocative speech' that disrupted order and prompted police intervention. 'Two issues had come up. First was the suspension of the MA student and the second was the protests that took place on campus in relation to an alleged suicide attempt at Karampura campus. They both happened one after the other. Violence of any kind in any society should not be overlooked,' Lather said. The administration has since suspended several students after a protest in April allegedly turned confrontational. Registrar Navlendra Kumar Singh had earlier told The Indian Express that demonstrators surrounded his vehicle, causing damage, and refused to disperse until they were allowed to meet the V-C. 'We have filed a police complaint. The FIR is yet to be registered. The students want to meet the V-C, but the V-C is not ready, as their approach is aggressive. We are ready to address the issues, but there needs to be a proper way to have a conversation,' Singh said. Lather defended the call to file a police complaint, saying that the move was to ensure safety on campus. She added that disciplinary actions were the result of institutional processes, not ad hoc calls. 'The university decides on actions; it is never a reaction. The Proctorial Board has patiently handled the students' issues on this campus,' she said. While Lather maintained that AUD upholds ideological plurality and due process, student groups alleged that the actions taken against them reflect an erosion of academic and democratic values. The suspended student, who is affiliated with the All India Students' Association (AISA), had earlier told The Indian Express, 'The action taken by the administration is representative of a larger and sustained attack on the academic and democratic spirit of AUD.'
India Today
30-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
India is foreign word: Ambedkar University VC on using 'Bharatiya' in curriculum
The vice-chancellor of Dr B R Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD), Anu Singh Lather, has said the institution is deliberately avoiding the term Indian Knowledge System in favour of the 'Bharatiya Knowledge System' as "India is a foreign word".Asserting its cultural identity and academic autonomy, the university's choice of terminology reflects a deeper philosophical and historical consciousness, according to Lather."The word India itself is foreign to all of us," she said during an interview with Lather said the AUD has recently approved 54 compulsory BKS courses that will be integrated across programmes in various departments, including history, law, heritage management and political are not merely value-addition electives, but mandatory components intended to embed indigenous knowledge frameworks into formal higher education, she said."We took nearly two years to finalise these courses. Every reference cited includes the original source -- the Upanishads, Mahabharata, or Arthashastra, down to the chapter, verse, and line. We've done serious academic groundwork," Lather said, adding that the initiative is perhaps the most rigorous BKS model in any Indian curriculum includes themes such as Bharatiya foundational political philosophy, Yoga and the Self, Indian aesthetics, Bhakti as Gyaan, traditional law systems, and ancient Indian science and courses, Lather explained, were developed by inviting national-level experts and underwent robust academic scrutiny before receiving approval in the university's Academic AUD as a thought leader under the National Education Policy (NEP) framework, Lather said, "We are not competing with other institutions. Our vision, rooted in Babasaheb Ambedkar's ideals, guides our distinct academic identity, including our approach to what knowledge deserves to be central."This bold pivot, she suggested, is part of a wider vision of reclaiming indigenous intellectual traditions while reshaping postcolonial academic discourse.- Ends
The Hindu
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
'India is foreign word': Ambedkar University V-C on 'Bharatiya Knowledge System' in curriculum
The vice-chancellor of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD), Anu Singh Lather, has said the institution is deliberately avoiding the term Indian Knowledge System in favour of the 'Bharatiya Knowledge System' as "India is a foreign word". Asserting its cultural identity and academic autonomy, the university's choice of terminology reflects a deeper philosophical and historical consciousness, according to Ms. Lather. "The word India itself is foreign to all of us," she said during an interview with PTI. Ms. Lather said the AUD has recently approved 54 compulsory BKS courses that will be integrated across programmes in various departments, including history, law, heritage management and political philosophy. VIDEO | Vice Chancellor of Dr BR Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD), Anu Singh Lather, has said the institution is deliberately avoiding the term Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in favour of the 'Bharatiya Knowledge System' as "India is a foreign word". She said, "We again boast of… — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 30, 2025 These are not merely value-addition electives, but mandatory components intended to embed indigenous knowledge frameworks into formal higher education, she said. "We took nearly two years to finalise these courses. Every reference cited includes the original source — the Upanishads, Mahabharata, or Arthashastra, down to the chapter, verse, and line. We've done serious academic groundwork," Ms. Lather said, adding that the initiative is perhaps the most rigorous BKS model in any Indian university. India that is Bharat: The Hindu editorial on a name game The curriculum includes themes such as Bharatiya foundational political philosophy, Yoga and the Self, Indian aesthetics, Bhakti as Gyaan, traditional law systems, and ancient Indian science and technology. These courses, Ms. Lather explained, were developed by inviting national-level experts and underwent robust academic scrutiny before receiving approval in the university's Academic Council. Positioning AUD as a thought leader under the National Education Policy (NEP) framework, Ms. Lather said, "We are not competing with other institutions. Our vision, rooted in Babasaheb Ambedkar's ideals, guides our distinct academic identity, including our approach to what knowledge deserves to be central." This bold pivot, she suggested, is part of a wider vision of reclaiming indigenous intellectual traditions while reshaping postcolonial academic discourse.
Hans India
30-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Ambedkar varisty NEP-ready even before its launch: VC Lather
New Delhi: Dr B R Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) was implementing several key components of the National Education Policy 2020 long before its formal rollout, Vice Chancellor Anu Singh Lather said, asserting that the institution is 'naturally aligned' with the policy's progressive goals. In an interview with PTI, Lather also spoke on student politics, infrastructure development, and the university's focus on social equity. 'We were NEP-ready long before the policy even came,' she said, adding that the university had adopted continuous internal assessment and flexible exit options since its inception in 2009. 'While NEP introduced continuous assessment in 2020, we had been practising it for years. Similarly, the multi-exit system was already part of our curriculum under which students could leave after a year with a certificate, two with a diploma, and three with a degree,' she explained. Lather said AUD was among the first universities in the country to adopt the four-year undergraduate programmes under the National Education Policy (NEP). This year the university is entering the fourth year of the programme receiving a 'positive response' from students so far. 'Though final enrolment figures are awaited, deans have informed us that a significant number of students are inclined to continue into the fourth year,' she said. She admitted that despite the enthusiasm, infrastructure and space remains a concern 'Yes, we face space and resource constraints, but are actively responding. A new building in Karampura with 18 classrooms and two seminar halls has been completed to accommodate this year's students. We are hopeful for timely funding support from the government,' she said. The vice chancellor underlined that AUD's educational model is grounded in Dr Ambedkar's vision of equity and social justice. 'Our focus has always been on inclusion, equity, social justice and gender balance. These are not just words but they are reflected in our programmes and pedagogy,' she said. She further highlighted AUD's fee waiver policy, saying that SC, ST, and PwD students receive full fee exemptions from the time of admission -- a practice not common in other institutions. 'We also have a tiered fee-waiver structure based on need for other students. Nearly 58 per cent of our students benefit from financial support and around 42 per cent of our total budget is allocated to student welfare,' she added. On the contentious issue of student politics, Lather advocated for democratic engagement within academic norms. 'Universities must nurture free thinking. We respect all viewpoints, but any anti-social or anti-national activity has no place on campus,' she said. While some campuses in Delhi have seen disruptive student protests and politically charged clashes, AUD has opted for a more structured form of engagement. She noted that AUD follows the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations strictly and elects student representatives democratically, who participate in the university council. 'Students engage with the administration constructively and directly,' she said.
