The Joint Committee of Vice-Chancellors of all universities in Gujarat today passed a unanimous resolution to make the study of terrorist strikes and their prevention a mandatory part of the curricula in every course in the state. The committee also resolved to consider students linked to terror activities as terrorists and not students, to be treated accordingly.

The committee chairman and Saurashtra University Vice-Chancellor, Dr Kamlesh Joshipura, told The Indian Express that students in all courses, including Medical, Engineering, Science, Commerce and Art, will have to study the anti-terror and disaster response course.

The resolution also came down heavily on Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Milia Islamia University, New Delhi, for stating that he would support students arrested in the wake of the Delhi terror encounter, and HRD Minister Arjun Singh’s endorsement of that stance.

Asked if it was right to consider the arrested students as terrorists even before they have been convicted, Joshipura said: “The fact that they have been arrested means there is a 50-50 chance that they indeed are terrorists.”