with all these ills plaguing higher education in India, it is not surprising that politics and politicians play a more active role in education than desirable. Political influence, like that of money is omnipotent and money is perhaps the major inducement for politicians to interfere in the education system.Politicians may have a say in the appointment of teachers or admission of students,in deciding syllabi and curricula; in the management and utilization of funds,and sometimes, even in deciding who should qualify, and who should not. If money is the greatest ill that afflicts the higher education system, it is the politicians who control its use or misuse. Money that can create infrastructure like libraries and laboratories, more often than not, is used for trading favors and privileges.
Another undesirable side-effect of political interference in higher education is the manipulation the student community suffers at the hands of politicians. Politicians are always conscious of their popularity and the student community being what it is: immature, volatile and energetic, is an easy resource the politicians exploit for boosting their popularity.They divide the student community by igniting passion over one frivolous issue or another and encourage the students to fight among themselves; with the fruits of such fights always serving the politicians' interest.