Dharmendra Pradhan Praises JNU For Introducing Course On Counter-Terrorism

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Friday lauded JNU for starting a course on counter-terrorism, days after the university courted controversy over it.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Friday lauded JNU for starting a course on counter-terrorism, days after the university courted controversy over it. The executive council of the Jawaharlal Nehru University on Thursday approved the new counter-terrorism course, which had drawn criticism from a section of teachers and students over its content. "JNU deserves appreciation, I extend my wishes to Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar for starting such a course. When top global universities like MIT can have discourse and debate on terrorism and counter-terrorism, why cannot our varsities do the same," Pradhan said during a meeting with vice chancellors. He said a fellow parliamentarian had written to him on the JNU course. He, however, did not name the parliamentarian. "During my interaction with US security experts, I understood how internet and cyber world will be used increasingly for terrorism activities. Why cannot our students, engineering students learn this. At the end of the day, these students will deal with similar problem and find solution to such issues after they have graduated," he said. The academic council of JNU, in its meeting held on August 17, had approved three new courses -- "Counter terrorism, asymmetric conflicts and strategies for cooperation among major powers"; "India's emerging world view in the twenty first century" and "Significance of science and technology in international relations".