Harvard urged to revoke certificate given to Revanth Reddy
HYDERABAD: A Hyderabad based alumnus of the Harvard Kennedy School has written to the leadership of Harvard University, demanding the immediate withdrawal of a certificate awarded to Telangana Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy.
In an email addressed to Harvard president Alan Garber and Kennedy School dean Jeremy Weinstein, the alumnus said he was “deeply dismayed and outraged” by the decision to issue a completion certificate to Revanth Reddy for an executive education programme titled Leadership in the 21st Century: Chaos, Conflict, and Courage.
The writer identified himself as a Harvard Kennedy School alumnus (MC-MPA 2012) and an Edward S Mason Fellow.
The email alleged that Revanth Reddy faces 89 criminal cases, including 72 serious charges under the Indian Penal Code, citing affidavits analysed by the Association for Democratic Reforms. It also referred to the 2015 cash-for-vote case in which Revanth Reddy was arrested by the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau after being allegedly caught attempting to bribe a legislator, leading to his judicial custody for nearly 50 days.
“Yet this individual, now heading a state government, openly indulges in divisive politics, uses unparliamentary language against opponents and their families, and targets rivals through false cases,” the email said.
The alumnus questioned how an institution with a global reputation for ethical leadership could issue certificates to political leaders with what he described as a “deeply troubling public record”.
“How can Harvard Kennedy School, which claims to shape ethical global leaders, issue certificates to politicians with such dubious credentials?” the email asked, alleging that no serious background verification appeared to have been conducted before granting admission.
The email accused Harvard of “selling short executive programmes” that allow controversial political figures to gain “a veneer of legitimacy”, and urged the university to immediately revoke the certificate and review its admission processes.
“Failure to act will only confirm that Harvard’s prestige is now for sale to the highest bidder,” the email concluded, seeking a prompt response from the university leadership.
