JNUTA leaders on hunger strike over delayed faculty promotions at JNU
NEW DELHI: Two office-bearers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) on Monday began a 24-hour hunger strike on the campus to protest against alleged delays in promotions. More than a dozen professors from various departments associated with JNUTA joined the sit-in protest.
Posters bearing slogans such as “Promotions are hard earned”, and “Waiting for promotions” were put up around the protest site.
Protesters alleged that promotions under the University Grants Commission (UGC) Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) had been selectively provided and delayed in many cases since 2016. Currently, CAS applications of more than 130 faculty members have not been processed, JNUTA president Moushumi Basu told this newspaper. “The promotion process has been marred by several problems – selectivity, inordinate delays, and forcing teachers to give up some of their due as the ‘price’ for promotion. Now the process is at a complete halt even though the number of promotions that have become due are mounting by the day. This is a deliberate act to stop teachers’ representatives from raising concerns about harassment and victimisation and denial of legitimate dues,” she said.
JNU V-C Santishree D Pandit, however, said, “I have made the highest number of CAS promotions in the history of JNU,” adding, the largest recruitment drive was conducted in September last year.
V-C denies charges
JNU V-C Santishree D Pandit denied the teachers’ allegations saying, she had made the highest number of promotions under CAS in JNU history. Till now 331 faculty posts have been advertised and about 186 selection committees have been conducted, the V-C said.