Those advocating federalism must realise India is not a ‘contractual union’, says TN Governor

Speaking at the South Zone Vice Chancellors Meet in Coimbatore, the Governor said, looking at the country through the colonial prism had not helped eradicate poverty, but had promoted regional imbalances

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi said those talking about federalism should realise that India was not a “contractual union” but an organic one, unlike the United States of America.

India that was Bharat, was like body parts, each different in shape and functioning, but part of the body and which couldn’t function outside the body, the Governor said, at the South Zone Vice Chancellors Meet in Coimbatore.

The perception of looking at the country through the colonial prism, even after Independence, had not helped eradicate poverty but instead, promoted regional imbalances. Even within States there were less developed regions, Mr. Ravi said. Universities, as place for knowledge dissemination should ensure that they help in dissemination of such knowledge that was useful for society, he said.

As the Chancellor of universities, the Governor said, he had a chance to learn about the 30,000 doctorate theses. While a few were good and on topics beneficial to society, a bulk were “on a leader or his ideology” and showed that the researcher had pursued a Ph.D. for the sake of a degree. While it could be politically correct to do such research, the universities should not lose sight of national or societal interests, he said.

The president of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), G. Thiruvasagam spoke on the Meet’s theme – ‘Realising Sustainable Development Goals through Higher Education Institutions for ensuring inclusive and quality education’. AIU secretary general, Pankaj Mittal, said India ranked 120th in the Sustainable Development Goals and had only eight years to reach the target. Bharathiar University Vice Chancellor P. Kaliraj also participated.