-
How Merit Died at Mysore University: Anatomy of Decline and a Dharmic Blueprint to Rebuild
The University of Mysore’s trajectory—from a ‘Kashi of Knowledge’ to an institution beset by politicization—reveals how academic cultures unravel when identity and expedience eclipse merit. Drawing on testimonies preserved in Bhyrappa’s Bhitti, H.M. Nayak’s Mysore Diary, and accounts linked to B.G.L. Swamy, this analysis traces the sidelining of master teachers, the embittering of scholars like…
-
From Temple of Learning to Cattle-shed: How Politics Unmade Mysore’s Maharaja’s College
B.G.L. Swamy’s unforgettable scene of a donkey and two cows in Maharaja’s College is more than shock value; it crystallises a wider institutional decline at the University of Mysore. Drawing on S.L. Bhyrappa’s Bhitti and the memory-portraits of A.N. Murthy Rao, this essay traces how identity blocs, party patronage, and faculty “private durbars” displaced scholarly…
-
From Common Rooms to Campus Cults: How Ideological Prophetism Captured Mysore Academia
Two classic vantage points—A.N. Murthy Rao’s portrait of the Maharaja College Common Room and B.G.L. Swamy’s field-notes in Mysore Diary—trace how Mysore’s academic culture shifted from collegial mentorship to hardened factionalism. The analysis situates this transition in broader patterns of patronage, social identity dynamics, and an assertive “prophetic mentality” that privileges rupture over deliberation. It…
-
From Vidya Kashi to a Graveyard of Knowledge: Politics and Ideology at Mysore University
This essay examines the University of Mysore’s founding ideal—Na hi jñānena sadṛśam—and contrasts it with the institutional decay chronicled in B.G.L. Swamy’s Mysore Diary (1979–80). Drawing on primary testimony and corroboration from S.L. Bhyrappa’s autobiography, it maps how caste-based mobilizations, ideological capture (including Communist-aligned activism), and party patronage (notably tied to the Congress party’s local…
-
Jammu University Syllabus Row: Protests Over Jinnah Chapter Ignite India’s History Debate
Protests at the University of Jammu over a Jinnah-related syllabus entry have intensified a national debate about how Indian universities should teach contested histories. This analysis clarifies the difference between inclusion and endorsement, situating Jinnah within a broader, evidence-based study of constitutional debates, the two-nation theory, and Partition. It outlines the legal-institutional pathways for curriculum…
-
After Day-Long Protest, JnU Hindu Students Symbolically Begin Central Temple, Urge Campus Harmony
Hindu students at Jagannath University in Dhaka staged a day-long, peaceful protest to highlight the need for a designated Central Temple on campus. Their symbolic “inauguration” sought to draw attention to administrative inaction while affirming religious freedom and cultural identity. Participants emphasized non-violence, unity in diversity, and interfaith respect aligned with campus harmony. The episode…
-
Debunking the Skill-Gap Myth: How Demand, Training, and Wages Rapidly Build Talent
The alleged “skill gap” is best understood as a demand-and-incentives problem, not a talent shortage. When wages signal value and firms see opportunity, they fund training, partner with universities, and upskill adjacent talent at speed. Case studies from global enterprises—spanning fashion, precision glass, automotive production, and franchised food—show how practice, process, and market feedback outperform…
-
Complete Briefing: DU to Co‑Host Global Summit on Hindutva’s Future and Dharmic Unity
Delhi University will co-host a global summit on “Challenges & Future of Hindutva” in November, as reported from New Delhi on October 3, 2025. The event signals growing international interest in Hindutva’s sociocultural and political thought, inviting rigorous, comparative scholarship. It emphasizes methodological clarity across history, political theory, sociology, law, and religious studies. Aligned with…
-
Discover Resilience: UC Berkeley’s Breakthrough Forum on Kashmiri Hindus’ Displacement
I share a first-person reflection from a packed UC Berkeley forum that centered Kashmiri Hindu voices and history. You’ll discover essential context on the 1990 exodus, patterns of ethnic cleansing, and the lived experiences of the diaspora. Highlights include Drew Kaul’s moving keynote, a deep-dive panel on history and reconciliation, and cultural anchors like Sharada…
-
Multiculturalism as misdirection
Peter Thiel’s article titled “The Diversity Myth,” featured in this month’s The New Criterion, addresses several key points about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and their impact on various aspects of society. Thiel argues that DEI is not a genuine pursuit of diversity but rather a distraction from deeper issues. These deeper issues include challenges…