Controversial JNU prof is new ICSSR member

New Delhi, June 29

JNU Professor Amita Singh, who had last year kicked up a storm with her alleged remarks that all Dalits and Muslims are “anti-nationals”, is among the 13 persons chosen by the HRD Ministry as members of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR).

The ICSSR, established in 1969 by the Centre, gives grants to institutions and scholars, and reviews the progress of social science research.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) had last month appointed anthropologist Brij Bihari Kumar as ICSSR chairman, who had set in motion the process of appointment of other members to the council.

Among those who have been chosen as members are JNU professors Amita Singh and Ashwini Mahapatra, Delhi University professor and honorary director of India Policy Foundation Rakesh Sinha and Bihar University Vice-Chancellor HCS Rathor.

Singh, who heads JNU's Centre of Law and Governance, had kicked up a controversy during the sedition row at the varsity by allegedly calling Dalits and Muslims “anti-nationals”. While the professor had maintained that she was “quoted out of context”, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes had sent a show-cause notice to JNU over the issue. — PTI