The Jadavpur University (JU) once stood as a beacon of academic excellence and intellectual pride in Kolkata, a city known for its rich history of education and culture. Established in 1955, the JU soon emerged as one of India’s leading institutions, drawing students and scholar lagued by political influence, student violence, and a general decay in the quality of education. The question many ask today is how did this transformation happen, and what is its significance for Bengal’s education system at large?

To understand the root cause of the JU’s decline, one must look back at the political landscape in Bengal. The Left Front, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M), ruled the state for over three decades, from 1977 to 2011. During this period, the Left’s dominance over educational institutions, including the JU, was profound. Universities, colleges, and schools were not only seen as spaces for intellectual development but also as ideological battlegrounds, where the Left entrenched its political influence. Campus elections, student unions, and the curriculum itself became platforms for the Left to assert its power.

The Jadavpur University, with its vibrant intellectual environment, became a microcosm of this larger political culture. The university’s student body was deeply infused with Leftist ideologies, and its faculty often followed the same political leanings. While political engagement and activism in educational institutions are not inherently negative, the Left’s grip on the JU shifted the focus from academic excellence to political manoeuvring. Over the years, the JU became more associated with protests, strikes, and ideological conformity than with fostering an environment for free thought and scholarly pursuits.

With the rise of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 2011 and the subsequent end of the Left Front’s........

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