Scholarship in India: Green and Red Channels

    Speeding up visas for scholars wishing to do research in India, the government has announced a green- and red-channel system. Green mean move three spaces forward; and red means stop, or go back. They need to develop a better system.

    Here is why. The system expands the Indian bureaucracy, which is already the bane of business people and investors. In fact, the system fits the image India as an unruly bureaucracy, rife with corruption. Further, the system is dangerous because if a right-wing party, like the BJP, come to power, we do not know what will fall in "the red channel" category. Instead of being a leader in academic freedom, and innovation, India is tying its own hands. I hope the Prime Minister of India, himself a scholar, rubbishes this scheme.

    Of course, every country needs to protect its national security. But mechanisms cannot be created that are open to abuse; and this one is. At the very least, the system needs to be accompanied by a charter extolling the need and right of academic freedom, which is in essence just an extention of our many worlds. The two-channel system is poor idea, at best; and dangerous, at worst.