JNUTA flags ‘crisis of governance’; seeks removal of V-C in fresh appeal to President Murmu

The association said repeated appeals to the V-C brought “no corrective action,” and her decisions are now causing violations of rights and procedures.

While JNU Teachers’ Association met with the high-power committee set up by MHRD , a section of professors announced their dissociation with the teachers’ body. (File Photo | Express)

NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) has again raised concerns over what it calls a deepening “crisis of governance” at Jawaharlal Nehru University, writing to President Droupadi Murmu for the third time this year.

The association said repeated appeals to vice-chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit have brought “no corrective action,” and that her decisions are now leading to violations of fundamental rights and key institutional procedures.

The latest complaint centres on a senior faculty member who retired in September while her promotion application, pending since 2019, remained unprocessed. JNUTA said the V-C had publicly assured that the promotion would be cleared to allow her to “retire with dignity”, yet no selection committee was formed, nor was she formally declared ineligible - a move the association termed a violation of Articles 14 and 16(1), citing the SC’s 1999 Ajit Singh vs State of Punjab ruling.

JNUTA also accused the VC of altering proceedings of the University Court regarding the “unjustifiable termination” of a young faculty member.