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Academicians will now need ministry of home affairs permission to organise international conference, seminars and workshops.
The clearance of participants will have to be sought in case they belong to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China or Pakistan, or if the conference will have a bearing on external affairs.
The human resources development ministry has sent all universities and deemed universities a circular, issued by the home ministry, that lays out the revised guidelines for security clearance for holding international conferences, seminars and workshops.
The human resources ministry had recently stated that it expected universities to be universally acknowledged centres of excellence, and even announced a reward for such centres, with funds that could go up to Rs 35 crore.
The HRD ministry now wants organisers of international meetings to forward applications, at least a month and a half before the conference.
Academician Kanti Bajpai of the School of International Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru university is among those who are apprehensive of the new guidelines.
He cited the case of how he had once applied in June, for permission to attend an international conference in October. But got permission in December, after the conference.
"I fear the same when we hold an international conference here. It amounts to saying in a way: look, academicians, if you are thinking of holding your own conferences and inviting your own people, forget it," Bajpai said.
The circular makes it mandatory for permission in case the subject matter is political, semi-political, communal or religious, or is related to human rights.
The guiding principle that the circular lays down is that foreign participation should not be generally considered for meets related to human rights or sensitive technical subjects, which can be utilised as a platform for any particular line of propaganda, or where the subject matter of the conference is of a purely national or local character.
It exempts the government, United Nations or UN-specialised agencies sponsored or organised international conferences.
Surprisingly, non-governmental organisations have also been let scot-free.
"The real purpose of the circular is to prevent academicians from interaction with foreign counterparts, without government control. It is also an attempt at stopping foreigners from having a real idea of what is happening in India," argued Prof Kamal Mitra Chenoy, who teaches at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru university, New Delhi, and is an executive member of the JNU teachers' association.
Chenoy called the circular 'anti-democratic'. He said the government had been criticised by the international community for human rights violations, especially of minorities.
"That is what makes them raise the need for prior clearance, in case of international conferences on subjects relating to human rights, political and semi-political matters," he added.
Chenoy echoed the anger among academicians when he said: "It is a violation of the universal declaration of human rights. It confers upon us the right to talk on human rights and to interact with foreign experts on it."
Bajpai called for scrapping of the circular. "It is the most foolish, contradictory and sinister rule."
He wondered if anyone wanted to cause trouble in India, why he would go through a regular channel, like applying for a visa and attending a conference.
"And what if the other countries start reciprocating. Would our professors be able to go out?"
"Despite restrictions, we should have been inviting more foreign students. By not doing so, we are losing money, respect, ideas and a generation of young people, who will be political leaders of tomorrow," Bajpai suggested.
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