Pune University retracts ‘vegetarian’ criteria for gold medalists

After much uproar over the ‘vegetarian only’ condition for gold medalists at the Savitribhai Phule Pune University, an official said that the award instituted in the name of Yog Maharshi Ramchandra Gopal Shelar, has been retracted.

Speaking to IANS, Registrar Arvind Shaligram said, “We have withdrawn the 10-year-old circular after objections were raised from various quarters. Now we shall write to the Shelar family (which had endowed the two gold medals) to drop this particular stipulation”. In the event that the family does not comply to the request, the University will initiate the cancellation of the medals instituted out of the family’s endowment.

Education Minister Vinod Tawde on Saturday wrote to all universities instructing them to not bow down to any criteria which create inequalities for awarding scholarships/medals sponsored by the donors. “SPPU’s decision to give gold medal to teetotallers and vegetarians is not something which has been taken now. It has been happening since 2006. No university can compromise on the fundamental rights of the students. It is my instruction to the university to give attention on the merit of the students”, he said.

Among the criteria imposed were, the winners must be “vegetarians, and free of any kind of vices”, “traditional thinking, follow Indian culture in his/her daily life, should practice meditation, Yoga and Pranayanam, should have bagged maximum awards in different Indian and western sports/games”. The winners must have “excelled in singing, dancing, drama and oratory, must have participated in AIDS awareness programmes, environment protection and anti-pollution drives, donated blood, must be in the top two ranks in SSC, HSC and graduation levels”.

The criteria invited staunch criticism from youngsters, other universities, local organizations and even political parties like the Aam Admi Party who branded the circular as ‘discriminatory’ and threatened to launch an agitation against the university.

The circular of the conditions mentioned has been pulled down from the university web portal on after students’ relentless protests. Amir Pathan, secretary of NSUI, told Pune Mirror, “We will stand for anything which goes against any student. We are glad that the university has accepted our appeal.” He added, “The trust is free to make such donations and give conditions in private institutions. We are a government university and only the university must have the right to decide the conditions of the medal.”