Revoke action on SAU professors: Central Universities Teachers Association
NEW DELHI: Five days after South Asian University (SAU) suspended four faculty members on grounds of ostensible misconduct, the Federation of Central Universities Teachers Association (FEDCUTA) called upon its administration to unconditionally roll back all ‘illegal moves’ against them or face protests by teachers from all over the country.
The South Asian University suspended the faculty members on June 16 and now they are considering challenging the suspension orders in court. The four teachers found themselves in the crosshairs for signing a letter to the SAU administration written against its decision to call the police to break up a student protest in October and suspending five students. Although the letter to the administration had 15 signatories, four members were singled out for action.
The faculty members alleged that the suspension notice against them was “targeted” and “illegal”. They wrote to the SAU saying as much on June 19 and had sought a meeting with its acting president, Ranjan Kumar Mohanty, but received no response.
Nandita Narain, president, Democratic Teachers’ Front, DU said, “We strongly condemn the high-handed and autocratic behavior of South Asian University administration and demand immediate withdrawal of suspension of 4 faculty members and revocation of expulsion/ rustication of protesting students. The Governing Body of SAU must institute an independent inquiry into the arbitrary, undemocratic and illegal functioning of the Acting Vice Chancellor of SAU and his team that have brought a university of international repute to this sorry pass.”
The current conflict has its roots in a student protest in September last year. In September 2022, SAU students had launched a protest against the university reducing monthly stipends. They had sought an increase instead along with representation in statutory bodies, particularly those on gender sensitisation and sexual harassment.
Thirteen faculty members had written to the university administration condemning this move.Following this, in November 2022, the university revoked the admission of 5 students. One of the rusticated students, Ammar Ahmad even suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be revived through Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
15 faculty members then wrote to the administration, asking it to not involve the police and calling the suspension of the students a “violation of proctorial rule”.South Asian University is an international university established by eight members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Row sparked by students’ stir in 2020
The current conflict has its roots in a student protest in September last year. In September 2022, SAU students had launched a protest against it for reducing monthly stipends. The students had sought an increase instead along with representation in statutory bodies, particularly those on gender sensitisation and sexual harassment. Thirteen faculty members had written to the university administration condemning this move.