Art & science of raising a university:Ashoka founders in conversation with Shekhar Gupta|
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- Опубліковано 11 лют 2025
- Ashoka University founders Pramath Raj Sinha, Sanjeev Bikhchandani and Ashish Dhawan join Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta for an exclusive conversation in this edition of the #ThePrint #OffTheCuff where they talk about how Ashoka came into being, emphasis on research, dealing with controversies, role of the board of trustees, the state of higher education in India and where they see Ashoka headed in the next 10 years.
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“Started a primary school somewhere” - sometimes, Mr. Gupta, your framing leaves a lot to be desired. It isn’t easy to start or run a primary school especially in pockets of the country where education isn’t easily accessible. Think, please, before you state things flippantly.
While Ashoka is thankfully a wonderful institution, let’s not pretend that it stems from philanthropy. Take a look at the fees and the profiles of kids attending the institution if you truly want to have a less superficial discussion. Also, while it’s commendable that these gentlemen were able to set up a new university, please don’t gloss over the fact that they come from enormous privilege and possess vast networks partly by the luck of birth given the families they come from (Mr. Sinha is Yashwant Sinha’s nephew). Thus, while admirable that they’ve focused on education, it isn’t exactly a philanthropic enterprise in the first place since they’re minting money albeit - one assumes - to plough back into the university itself.
Typical Indian critique of anything good - they’re looters, privileged goons. Then the same people will cry why do we not have any world class university and send their kids to foreign universities at astronomical rates.
Thankyou Gentlemen for the shared thoughts on theAshoka University.We need More university like Ashoka.
The moment they fired Pratap Bhanu Mehta, their downfall began. They now can't call themselves a University
I got an opportunity to study in IIT and then a US University. I strongly feel there is much needed to be done in this space in India. Great to see few are trying. I wish more resourceful people like Ambani Adani and so on open future cornell and standford universities in India.
Where r u now ?
Very happy with the education imparted here to my daughter !! Proud parent!!
Thanks for doing this - great conversation.
It would be great to have someone from Jindal come in. Would love to see the contrast between what are essentially neighbours in Sonipat
Some of the faculties are making Ashoka as Rich people's JNU
Should they make IIT then?😂 Casteist brain drain NRIs? 😂
Charging a premium fee is not a negative. If they are able to command a fee like that - it shows that there is a need for quality education where quality faculty gets paid according to their worth which is matching global levels.
Finally having listened to the entire discussion I salute these promoters for their focus , dedication and vision
From the conversation it appears to be more institution-centric…repeated talk of safeguarding institution since the financial investment is huge. Will it help the cause of honest research? Could the administration have handled Pratap Bhanu Mehta better?😊
They said it subtly, there goal is to be successful at their mission, on the way there will be sacrifices. That's OK.
We need more Ashokas but with high intellectual output
A good episode.
What we lack in most of our higher institutes of learning is academic rigour, both in the faculty and students. If Ashoka and similar univs can foster and nurture educational excellence, it would take us far as a nation. Also, the entry barrier (financially, not academically) needs to be lowered. Who knows how many Dr Abdul Kalams we have out there who are deprived of fine education only because they lack the material means to get in?!
Is this an ad?
Excellent discussion. Enjoyed it as an academic my self.
India, despite using English as a primary language of instruction, attracts only about 50,000 international students annually-just 1/10th of what China hosts. This highlights a significant gap. We need many more institutions along the lines of Ashoka with a forward-thinking approach to higher education to emerge as a global education powerhouse.
Dude, we don't have roads, water and power. If we had those, we'd attract 10x.of what China does.
The idea of a University is to provide a space for teachers and students to speak openly, on whatever and whenever.. it is the sacred principle. We can talk about anything, and we need to tolerate others' expression. Ashoka University is not like that.. these ppl are speaking the language of authority, and shrouding their submisiveness to the state in polished language.
One thing I appreciate at least the university has a decent name unlike Lovely Professional University which sounds very odd for a university
3 gentlemen founding a university charging more than 12 lakh fee for the first year (and similarly for the rest three years) of an undergraduate program, are discussing about how such private universities will be the future of the country and will be the among all the top universities of the country. Great!
They have scholarships and cross subsidies, good education necessarily doesn't have to be cheap education, for all.
Ashoka is the only university in the country that provides need based aid. Jindal provides merit based scholarships only. Ashoka’s postgraduate program called the young india fellowship provides aid to everyone who applies. In such cases, I’ve seen class sizes be much more diverse than govt colleges.
@@anoushkasharma7716 Where can I find the data of fees distribution across the strength of a batch for at least a few past years?
In this life and specially in the private sector, you only get what you pay for and if you want cheap, you will get cheap. One only has to look at the vast majority of govt. funded schools and institutions of higher learning as proof of this . At one point, 30-40 years ago, IITs and IIMs were held up as exceptions to this general rule and cited as examples of properly funded and well run institutions of higher learning but today, even these are struggling to maintain their previous high standards. Now that so many more IITs and IIMs have now been set up in tier 2 cities, they struggle to attract good faculty and students see them primarily as placement centres and not as places of learning / research.
Check the website. Approximately 48% are on financial aid, out of which 10-20% pay no tuition fees. I personally got hostel and food free as well. @@kaustavchakraborty1406
Nobody asks them how they zeroed in on the name Ashoka? I want to give them Kudos for that.
This is the model to take all education, including higher & medical education, away from politicians and pure businessmen. Our future depends on it.
Thank you Shekhar for having these gentleman on your show.
The founders have done a great job in putting in place a Center of Excellence. But one must also realise that you take in students who have high financial backing and from top 10 percentile. I would like to see that you intake average lot and turn them to be in the top ten percentiles. How do the promoters see this challenge
How many Indian students can afford to be in Ashoka, not intellectually but financially?
Thats the longest ad ive watched
When a faculty member writes an article something which is in conflict with the views of the government of the day, the founders could have defended his right to express without agreeing with his views/ writings.
The concept of an Ashoka University is a huge achievement. Bravo guys
Shekhar thanks for getting the 3 education luminaries. It was great listening to how a world class University should be built and run
It's a wonderful university. For girls interested in liberal arts this is the best
Imagine someone telling Shekhar Gupta - it is a university where there is no Gupta sitting at the top 😂😂😂😂
watching this in the midst of ashoka’s jindalisation
Wonderful discussion. The founders are grounded and show clarity of thought. They realize the complexity of the society we all live in
Hi Aman,
Glad you liked this episode of #ThePrintOTC. Thank you for watching.
Excellent discussion....even better insights by founders.......This needs to be shared with GoI to make them understand that education allowance needs revision from ₹100 /child/month ..... Affordable & Quality Higher education needs urgent attention.
IRO, china's single minded push to get 9 & 32 unis in the top 100 is really an eye opener .....
Thank you for this discussion. Ashoka gives a great place for building character and networks. Many in India do not understand the concept of liberal arts and also our schools do not prepare the students for liberal education ans this makes the work of academics more difficult. Thank you Shekhar and for having this honest and candid discussion.
What a joke. It's a woke leftist cesspool. Needs to be shut down.
Why is everyone calling these people philanthropists….they are businessmen…doing business….and lots of it.
Should our government give scholarships to our less privileged students to study abroad, when we have university like Ashoka ?
The beginning: "In a university, you are preparing them for life." Half-way through: "If they were paying the full fee, they would not be here an extra year to participate in protests." Pretty great thinking for a university that started off as a liberal arts university. Until Sekhar pushes it a little bit more. Wow.
I knew about it. I had thought for my son but found it expensive.
National Education Policy and Ashoka, what's exactly is the relation?
All wise men in one frame.
What was the purpose of this discussion? Was this video put out simply to publicize this University?
How its non-profit university?? Considering they're so much fee.😢
You cannot run a loss making non profit.
they have to be a non-profit bcz of the government's draconian regulations
@@nikhilmish001😂😂 Trust all they do is pay for useless second Class NRI WOKE PROFS that’s all
They need to focus on STEM or management institute.
The print and shekhar gupta regualrly call rss minded people to his platform. For years shekhar gupta identity was hidden because he was working with ndtv who too fail to realise this shekhar gupta fella. But thank god he is exposed and his stature is reduce as a supporter of hate. This channel only attracts rss minded people.
😂😂 Shekhar Gupta is Economically right and socially left….So with congress becoming Commies there is no party in the centre for liberals like him…Cause as a child of Indian socialist state (licence Raj) he don’t want his country to be pre 1991 which is what Commie Rahul wants
Why are you posting comments here then?
Ashish Dhawan not an investor he is cheater
University bech rahe
It is the rich kids JNU minus academics achievements of those kids, we have seen enough of their non sense,jitna kachra unhone phailaya hain utne mein kanhaiya ko police utha ke le gyi thi
U r hindutva bigot plus some decent English. 😂
Kachra tum phaila rhe ho 2014 se. Acha hai abb Trump tumhari gand par lat maarega na pata chalega
bahut paise waale arrogant log
Don't pass the Judgement without knowing fully. They can set up any other industry and make money. They choose to setup educational institution. It's very good for country.
Prejudice comes so naturally to few people that they pass comments without going into facts. You put them to trial even though they devoted their time,energy and money for a noble cause like setting up educational institution. Relax.
@@kiranreddyyt😂😂 they are building a Social science university not a BITS or even Jio university to work in cutting edge tech😂😂….Gi to their website they published a paper “Why fat phobia a casteist issue”😂
Ashoka University is the best. They have the best girls. Easy to get and money hungry.😂😂
life itself is a distraction. you cannot ignore life as the basis of wanting the best for your institution. distrantion needs to be the attraction to greatness.
Is there a students union?
Sounds as if they do not have a students union or encourage it.