LUCKNOW: The fate of Prof Firoz Khan, who had appeared in an interview for the post of assistant professor of Sanskrit at Ayurveda department of Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) in Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on November 29, is likely to be decided at the crucial meeting of BHU executive council on December 7.
Khan is likely to appear in another interview for the same post in Sanskrit department under Arts faculty on December 4. However, the venue of the BHU executive council meeting is yet to be decided.
Khan has been facing protests over his appointment as an assistant professor in the department of Sahitya of the faculty of Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vijnan (SVDV) since November 7 for his religion.
Though support has poured in for Khan from across the campus and various quarters of the society, the students of SVDV have been opposing his appointment saying being a non-Hindu he would not be able to do justice to teaching. They alleged that he won’t be able to follow the ‘Karmakand’ and the other Hindu rituals as the pre-conditions for teaching and studying at SVDV.
The SVDV students had been urging the university authorities to shift Khan to the Sanskrit department under Arts faculty as there was no pre-condition for teaching the subject.
As per sources, the main agenda of the university’s executive council meeting is to finalise the list of medals, titles and the names of the chief guest for university’s upcoming convocation to be held on December 23. Besides reviewing the preparations for the convocation, the council members are likely to discuss the appointment of Prof Firoz Khan and the controversy around it in detail.
Besides, SVDV, Khan had applied for the post of Assistant Professor of Sanskrit at other departments as well. He earlier gave an interview at the Ayurveda department on November 29.
However, the sources claim that the interview at the Sanskrit department would be a big challenge for the shortlisted candidates among whom Khan also figures. In the Sanskrit department of Arts faculty, there are three OBC posts against which 39 candidates, including Prof Khan, have been shortlisted. 180 candidates had applied for three OBC seats and 36 for the lone vacancy under SC
category.
Meanwhile, the SVDV students, though have suspended their dharna for 10 days, continued their protests by launching a signature campaign against Khan’s appointment on Sunday.