Delhi Seminar Cancel.

The cancellation of a Delhi University seminar on “Land, Property and Democratic Rights” has sparked concerns about academic freedom and political interference in India’s educational institutions. The event, part of a longstanding lecture series, was abruptly cancelled the same day the university directed staff to promote a “National Godhan (cow herd) Summit,” highlighting a perceived prioritization of Hindu nationalist themes over critical social science inquiry. Critics, including the Democratic Teachers Front and a sociology professor, Nandini Sundar, argue that the administration’s actions represent a deliberate effort to stifle dissent and promote a Hindutva ideology, echoing concerns about the BJP government’s influence on academic discourse. The controversy underscores a broader trend of alleged restrictions on academic freedom in Indian universities, with reports of altered syllabi, banned books, and curtailed student movements, raising questions about the future of independent thought and research within the country’s higher education system.