All state universities and higher educational institutions across Uttar Pradesh have been directed to establish ‘anti-radicalisation’ units to prevent alleged attempts at “forced religious conversion” on campuses.
The directive was issued by the Uttar Pradesh Governor's Secretariat, which asked universities and institutions to implement preventive measures immediately to address such concerns.
The move follows an incident at King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow in December last year, where allegations emerged about a “love jihad” network operating from the campus. A junior resident doctor was arrested for alleged forced conversion and sexual exploitation.
In a letter dated May 29, issued by the office of the Governor-cum-Chancellor to vice-chancellors and directors of state universities and institutions, authorities were asked to take steps to prevent such activities.
The letter, issued by Dr Sudhir M Bobde, Special Executive Officer to the Chancellor, said reports of attempts to convert students through inducements or psychological pressure were being received frequently.
It stated that educational institutions must remain vigilant to ensure a “safe, religion-neutral and academic environment” and adopt measures to eliminate such attempts.
The communication said: “At the university and institutional level, ‘Anti-Radicalisation’ units or Student Welfare Cells should be made highly active.”
The letter highlighted that higher educational institutions are not only centres of learning and innovation but also play an important role in the moral, intellectual and social development of young people. It added that any attempt to influence students through fear, mental pressure or unethical inducements for religious conversion was “unacceptable, unethical and against the law”.
The Governor Secretariat further directed universities to include discussions on the issue during mentor-mentee sessions and sensitise students about the matter.
Institutions have also been asked to use parent-teacher association (PTA) meetings and informal interactions to monitor students’ mental well-being and address their concerns.
Universities have been instructed to establish counselling centres where students facing mental pressure, inducement or suspicious approaches can confidentially report their concerns.
Hostels and other sensitive areas on campuses will be placed under stricter monitoring, with institutions directed to prevent the entry of unauthorised outsiders and carry out surprise inspections periodically.
The directive also calls for organising lectures and seminars on moral values, logical thinking and legal rights. Universities have been asked to immediately inform local administration and police if any individual, group or organisation is found involved in suspicious activities related to conversion attempts.
Such cases, the letter said, should invite action under the state’s anti-conversion laws.
The directive comes as the Yogi Adityanath government has repeatedly raised alleged religious conversion as a law-and-order concern and strengthened the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act in recent years.
The latest communication places universities at the centre of efforts to detect and prevent such activities among students.
Speaking to The Indian Express, a senior faculty member at KGMU said the institution had received the directions from the Governor House and would further strengthen its existing mechanism.
“While we had already formed a cell to check any complaints of conversion, we would strengthen it further,” the faculty member said.
He added that after last year’s incident, a cell was formed at KGMU, which helped identify two alleged instances of forced conversion on campus. In one case, a non-medico individual allegedly posed as a doctor and attempted to convince girl students to join him in medical camps.
“A case was registered in both these incidents and arrests have been made by the police,” he said.