NEW DELHI: An Emergency General Body Meeting (GBM) of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) on Saturday strongly condemned the termination of Dr. Rohan V.H. Choudhari, calling the Vice Chancellor’s decision “vindictive,” “illegal,” and a violation of university statutes. The teachers’ body accused the Vice Chancellor of acting unilaterally, warning that the move was meant to intimidate faculty members into compliance.
The GBM said the dismissal, carried out on July 26 during the 323rd Executive Council meeting, mocked provisions of JNU’s Act, Statutes and Ordinances.
“This was not the decision of the EC, but of the VC driven by her personal vendetta,” the JNUTA stated, adding that several faculty members present failed to oppose what it termed a “grossly illegal” action.
According to JNUTA, the EC meeting had 13 members present, requiring nine votes for a two-thirds majority.
“If even two members had formally recorded dissent, the VC’s move would have collapsed. Their silence made them accessories to a crime,” it said.
Only the three elected teacher representatives recorded dissent in writing, with only one briefly allowed to speak, the association alleged.
The JNUTA argued that Dr. Choudhari’s sacking reflected a broader pattern of stalled promotions and arbitrary authority over appointments.
“Termination of a teacher for scarcely a transgression represents a new low even for the current VC,” the resolution read.