Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has decided to replace the word ‘Kulpati’ with ‘Kulguru’ in a gender-inclusive move.
‘Guru is the correct term for an academic head’
JNU Vice-Chancellor Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said, “Kulguru is gender neutral. Guru is the correct term for an academic head, and it is also there in all Indian languages. Meanwhile, the word ‘Pati’ denotes a lot of other things… That’s the reason I thought ‘Kulguru’ is more appropriate.”
#WATCH | Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has decided to replace the word 'Kulpati' with 'Kulguru' in a gender-inclusive move
— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2025
JNU Vice-Chancellor Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit says, "Kulguru is gender neutral. Guru is the correct term for an academic head, and it is… pic.twitter.com/cmrIOsHFtj
VC proposed gender-neutral title
The change was proposed by JNU Vice-Chancellor Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit during an executive council earlier this year. According to a report by the Indian Express, Pandit stressed that ‘Kulguru’ is a gender-neutral term that better signifies the role of a university head. ‘Kulguru’ has been adopted from ancient time, Guru-shishya tradition.
VC pushes for gender sensitivity in campus policies
Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit is the first woman to hold the position of Vic-Chancellor. She has always been vocal for gender-sensitive reforms in the university. After taking the charge, she encouraged gender-specific pronouns in official communications.
JNU suspended MoU with Turkiye’s Inonu University
Last month, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) suspended a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkiye’s Inonu University, given the concerns over national security. Vice-Chancellor (VC) Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said that the administration decided not to have relations with a country that “supports terror and stabs India in the back”.
‘We shouldn’t have any relation with the country that supports terror’
“We have 98 MoUs with different countries. JNU teaches the Turkish language. The administration thought that we shouldn’t have any relation with the country that supports terror and stabs India in the back. This is why I thought that it was important for us to stand with the Indian armed forces,” JNU VC Pandit told ANI.
“Every civilian citizen is responsible for our national security…JNU is totally subsidised by the Indian taxpayer. Where should our loyalty lie? To the Indian state. The present chiefs of the armed and naval staff are JNU alumni. We salute them. JNU is always for the nation and our armed forces,” she added.
