An economic analysis of student politics in India

Abstract

Student politics occupy the centre-stage of not just the academic arena in a country but is often at the heart of the identity of a nation itself. This is certainly true in many developing countries, including India. Student politics in India, in recent times, have been plagued with indiscipline, politicization and even violence. Campus politics though, should not be despised without further considerations since it is often a ground for interactions among fertile minds and leaders-in-the-making. That is, often, colleges that have experienced the highest degree of indiscipline associated with campus politics, are the ones associated with the highest standards of instruction and performance as well, indicating that the academically most able students are often the ones to get attracted to politics in the first place. Hence one must be careful while handling the ill-effects of campus politics so that unduly repressive measures do not end up extinguishing the spark of talent and future leadership in the process.