The change aims to promote gender neutrality and is also aligned with India’s ancient academic traditions, as per a report by The Indian Express.
The proposal to switch to ‘Kulguru’, which translates to ‘teacher or guide of the clan’, was put forth by JNU Vice-Chancellor Shantishree Dhulipudi Pandit during a recent Executive Council meeting.
The term “Kulpati”, often translated as the head of the clan or institution, has been the standard title in Hindi for Vice-Chancellors across Indian universities, as per News18.
“When I joined this university, everyone used ‘he’ instead of ‘she’ — even on official documents. But I’ve since made sure that it’s changed to ‘she’ wherever applicable,” Pandit had earlier said at an event in 2022, as per News18.
“Kulguru is the most appropriate for a [Vice-Chancellor]. It is gender neutral. Sanskrit is more accurate, and this reflects my job better as a first among equals in academia,” Pandit told Indian Express on the change of the title, emphasising the need for neutrality in official designations.
Inspired by Guru-Shishya traditionÂ
The decision is not just linguistic but philosophical. By choosing “Kulguru”, JNU is drawing from the traditional Indian guru-shishya (teacher-disciple) model, which has historically defined the teacher’s role as on of mentorship and moral guidance.
The change is also reflected in academic documentation, including degree certificates, Indian Express reported, citing university sources.
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh also changed the namesÂ
In February 2025, the Rajasthan government introduced the Rajasthan Universities’ laws (Amendment) Bill to replace “Kulpati” and “Pratikulpati” (Pro-Vice-Chancellor) with “Kulguru” and “Pratikulguru” in official Hindi texts.
The Bill was passed in March and required the Vice-Chancellor to be both executive and academic head and referred to in a manner that reflects the country’s heritage, as per News18.
Similarly, in July 2024, The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approved a proposal to adopt “Kulguru” across state universities.
