SNDT cancels Neera Desai Memorial Lecture by Uma Chakravarti, sparks concern in academic circles
SNDT Women’s University has cancelled the Neera Desai Memorial Lecture by feminist historian Uma Chakravarti, scheduled for March 14, a day after announcing the event.
The sixteenth Neera Desai Memorial Lecture (NDML) at SNDT Women’s University, scheduled to be delivered by eminent feminist historian Prof. Uma Chakravarti on March 14, has been abruptly cancelled just a day after its announcement, triggering confusion and controversy within India’s feminist and academic circles.
With no official explanation offered by the university, the cancellation of the lecture organised by its Research Centre for Women’s Studies (RCWS) has raised questions about who was responsible for the decision and sparked wider concerns among scholars about the future of gender studies in the country.
Dr. Neera Desai was one of the pioneers of women’s studies in India and played a key role in establishing the RCWS at SNDT University, which is also considered India’s first university-based research centre for women’s studies. The RCWS has regularly hosted the NDML at the university, with various feminist scholars delivering the lecture in the past.
This year’s event was announced to the public on Wednesday through a poster shared on social media. According to the poster, the event was to be organised in collaboration with the Maharashtra Stree Mukti Parishad (MSMP). Prof. Chakravarti was scheduled to deliver a lecture titled A Feminist Looks Back: Four Decades of a Long March.
As per the programme flow mentioned in the poster, the lecture was to be followed by a screening of the film Voh Subah Hami Se Aayegi/That Dawn That We Will Bring, directed by Prof. Chakravarti. The film tells the story of women’s movements addressing violence against women in India and the resistance to it over more than four decades across different regions of the country.
‘I am amused’: Uma Chakravarti
Confirming that she had been invited to deliver the lecture, Professor Chakravarti said she received a call on Friday informing her that the event had been cancelled. “I am amused that a women’s university which has historically been a place for women to get educated and speak-up, should feel anxious about hosting an event organised by its own Women’s Studies Centre.”
When contacted, SNDT University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Ujwala Chakradeo said she was not aware of the event. When told that the poster mentioned SNDT University as one of the organisers, she said she would get clarity on the matter but did not respond later.
Story continues below this ad
What led to the cancellation?
From the MSMP, Dr. Kunda P.N., a senior member of the feminist movement and a research scholar in non-Brahmin gender studies, said they too were informed on Friday about the cancellation through a phone call by the organisers. “Although, officially no reason is given by the administration; we read in between the lines. Dr Uma has been openly criticising the Brahmanical Patriarchy, caste system and right wing’s oppressive stand on women’s emancipation.”
Soon after the poster of the event was shared on social media, it was criticised by some users who said that Prof. Chakravarti is the inventor of the term ‘Brahminical Patriarchy’. They also questioned SNDT University’s association with the event, pointing out that the university is run by the Maharashtra government.
According to sources in SNDT University, discussions on cancelling the event began after the criticism on social media.
Calling the cancellation dangerous for academic discourse on university campuses, Dr. Kunda said, “The issue of ‘Brahmanical Patriarchy’ was first discussed by Jyotiba Phule, in 19th century, later on Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and then many other research scholars; Dr. Chakravarti has just consolidated all these theories in the past. Whereas the memorial lecture to be delivered by her on March 14 was going to be about the history of feminist movement in India.”
Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.
Expertise
Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting.
Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive:
Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses).
Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers.
Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis).
Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students.
Credentials & Trustworthiness
Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized.
Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families.
She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More
