Ministry of Education

Two editions of a new e-magazine named “Auroville Tomorrow” have been published by the Auroville Foundation Office. The first “revised edition No. 01”, [‘revised’ may refer to three earlier issues of Auroville Tomorrow published in 2022] dated 24 April 2025 introduces itself as “Auroville’s official future-focused newsletter” of the Auroville Foundation, Ministry of Education.

The AVFO continues entering into Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and other “collaborations” with Indian institutes, which the residents learn about via newspapers.

On 20 March, the Ministry of Education, responding to two Right to Information requests dated 25 and 26 February, sent the applicant a copy of the Minutes of the 68th Meeting of the Governing Board (GB) of the Auroville Foundation held on 5 December 2024, which have since been widely distributed in Auroville.

In the previous issue of Auroville Today we published the major considerations and decisions of the Governing Board as reported in the minutes of its 67th Governing Board meeting held in Auroville on 31 May 2024.

The National Green Tribunal verdict and appeal The Auroville Universal Township Master Plan (Perspective 2025) is a perspective and directional document that was approved in 2001 by the Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) – now Ministry of Education (MoE) – and published by the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation in the Gazette of India in 2010.

In response to a Right to Information request of 7 December, 2024 the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education has sent the applicant on 3 January the minutes of the 67th Governing Board meeting held in Auroville on 31 May, 2024.

“In this as in all great human aspirations and endeavours, an a priori declaration of impossibility is a sign of ignorance and weakness. For by the doing the difficulty will be solved.”

Following a court ruling of the Tindivanam court on October 25th, the disputed land area bordering Evergreen community which had been in Auroville's peaceful possession for over 32 years has now been cleared of all vegetation.

In response to three Right to Information (RTI) requests, the Ministry of Education, Auroville’s nodal ministry, replied on 25 November 2024, that Dr Jayanti Ravi IAS had been appointed as Secretary of the Auroville Foundation for another term of one year with effect from 5 July 2024.

The newspaper The Hindu reported on August 7th that the Minister of State for Education, Shri Sukanta Majumdar, replying in Parliament to a set of questions about Auroville, had said that the Central Government has referred a range of complaints, including dubious land exchanges, encroachment, cybercrime and money laundering in Auroville, to the appropriate bodies / agencies.

The RA-WCom informed the community that the 100 crore loan request to the Indian Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) for the Governing Board’s proposal to build 1,000 beds had not been approved by the Ministry of Education.

There have been many requests for clarity on the background and status of the numerous court cases that are pending in various courts in India, including in the Supreme Court of India, regarding the present situation in Auroville.

Nearly a hundred students from across India participated in week long exposure tours to Auroville in early February organised by the Ministry of Education under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) programme.

In its 64th meeting the Board asked the Secretary, Auroville Foundation to take necessary steps to streamline the housing allotment and regulate the housing according to The Mother's perception.

The Auroville Foundation has 37 management trusts which together hold 600 units and activities. Palani, the executive of the accounting unit Omega, gives his views.

In the last month, rumours have been circulating about a multiversity in which Auroville would play a central role. After much criticism that the Residents Assembly was not being consulted on such an important topic, on 9th November the Working Committee finally circulated version eight of a draft Sri Aurobindo International Multiversity Bill with a request for comments.

On October this year, the Ministry of Education of the Government of India appointed Auroville’s new Governing Board and new International Advisory Council.

In February this year the community selected new members for four major working groups. Christine asked Carel, whose term of office has come to an end after serving two terms in the Working Committee, about his 6-years’ experience.