NEW DELHI: After the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration decided to replace the Hindi term “Kulpati” with “Kulguru” as the Vice-Chancellor’s designation, citing gender neutrality and alignment with ancient Indian academic traditions, students on Wednesday strongly criticised the move as superficial and politically-motivated.
The JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU), in a letter dated June 4, wrote, “We understand your urgency to change the designation from ‘Kulpati’ to ‘Kulguru’ as a move toward gender neutrality. We do not hesitate to say that you are following the path of your ideological home, i.e, RSS-BJP.”
The decision, made during an Executive Council meeting earlier this year, follows similar developments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where universities adopted “Kulguru” to reflect the ‘guru-shishya’ tradition and remove gendered connotations from titles.
However, calling the change symbolic, JNUSU added, “Your name-change gesture rings hollow without substantive action. We urge you to move beyond symbolism: reinstate GSCASH, restore deprivation points, build gender-neutral facilities, and implement transgender reservations.”
Students also criticised dismantling of Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) and the removal of deprivation points in PhD admissions, arguing that these changes have disproportionately affect marginalised groups, including women and transgender students
While the university says the change is aimed at promoting inclusivity, students argue that inclusivity cannot be achieved without structural reform: “Symbolic gestures alone cannot ensure gender justice.”