Journalism is often practiced through newspapers, magazines and digital platforms—but books open an entirely different realm of “pustakarita”, where facts, arguments and truth are preserved for posterity. Dr. Bapurao Desai’s seminal work, “Vishvabhasha Hindi: Anusandhanatmak Nibandh,” stands as a striking example of this enduring and investigative scholarship.

In Chapter 18, titled “Ph.D. Prabandh Kya Abandh?” (Is a Ph.D. Thesis Even a Thesis?), Dr. Desai recounts a startling encounter:

“When the Vice-Chancellor and two Hindi experts joined me in interviewing the candidate, he revealed such a glaring lack of knowledge—mangling the language with astonishing errors—that the Vice-Chancellor and both experts immediately asked, ‘Dr. Desai, how did you even select him?’

I replied, ‘Sir, it was a position reserved for a differently-abled candidate.’

They reacted, ‘But he doesn’t appear differently-abled. And look how swiftly he rides his motorcycle ! But beyond that—why must someone pretend to be disabled only to later cripple the language itself in speech, teaching, thought and writing?’”

This remarkable instance of pustakarita raises troubling questions. To whom were these scholars referring? This journalist will attempt to reveal the answer in a forthcoming special report. Yet the more disturbing question lies elsewhere.

After reading the book, intellectuals across the country are asking :

Is there a deliberate attempt to cripple Hindi and the broader Hindi academic sphere?

Is India’s current academic structure pushing its educational system to the brink of intellectual disability?

If not, why do such examples continue to emerge in the world of higher education?

And if yes, why has no action been taken against these “specimens” of the academic world?

A number of respected professors believe that the education ministry must take cognizance of this exposé. Swift action against the responsible individuals, they say, is essential to restore public trust in the nation’s academic institutions.