NEW DELHI: The protest by the Hindu College Staff Association (HCSA) against the college principal and the chairman of its governing body entered its second month on Wednesday, with the association reiterating its demands for an independent inquiry into alleged statutory violations, greater institutional transparency and the withdrawal of show-cause notices issued to faculty members.
In a press conference held today, the association said it had been sitting on a protest dharna for more than three weeks and had submitted a memorandum to the University of Delhi Vice-Chancellor and the governing body, detailing its concerns and seeking action.
The association has raised issues relating to alleged deviations from university admission rules, delays in faculty leave and promotion matters, the bypassing of the statutory Staff Council, financial and procurement processes, non-disclosure of governing body minutes and audited accounts, appointments and tenure, and the use of college resources. It has also flagged concerns over fee and scholarship governance, access to institutional facilities and repeated fire incidents.
Among its key demands are an independent, impartial and time-bound inquiry into the allegations, immediate university intervention, and the removal of the present chairman of the governing body, TCA Rangachari, and the principal, Anju Srivastava, to allow the inquiry to proceed without obstruction or conflict.
The HCSA has also sought the withdrawal of show-cause notices issued to its president, secretary and a senior faculty member. It alleged that the notices were issued for airing the views of staff members regarding the principal’s alleged wrongdoing.
Former Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president Aditya Narayan Misra and the group INTEC also expressed solidarity with the association’s demands.
Questioning the action against the faculty members, Misra and INTEC raised concerns over why teachers should be issued show-cause notices for drawing attention to alleged violations of statutory provisions. They called for the concerns raised by the staff association to be addressed through appropriate institutional mechanisms.
Another issue raised by the faculty was that college buildings had been taken over and renamed after corporate donors, such as the Chimes Group, Relaxo and Ultra International, in violation of university rules.
The association said some faculty members, particularly those from Dalit and other vulnerable sections, had been selectively targeted and subjected to what it described as flimsy accusations.
The HCSA has said it will intensify its protest until its demands are met, urging the university to ensure accountability, protect faculty rights and restore confidence among teachers, students and other stakeholders.