All-women panel wins JNU executive council elections, says JNU Teachers’ Association

NEW DELHI: In a first at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, an all-women panel has been elected to the three seats reserved for teachers in the Executive Council (EC), the varsity's teachers body said on Thursday. Previously, these seats have seen one or, at most, two women representatives, the JNUTA said.

"Women in all three posts is a first. Earlier, it was usually one or two," a member of the JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) said.

The newly elected members include professor Chirashree Das Gupta from the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, associate professor Veena Hariharan from the School of Arts and Aesthetics, and assistant professor Santana Khanikar from the Centre for International Politics, Organisation, and Disarmament in the School of International Studies.

The election for Teacher’s Representatives to the EC was held on December 9, with an impressive voter turnout of over 90 per cent, as 634 faculty members cast their ballots, as per the JNUTA.

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JNUTA all-women panel

According to the results, Gupta secured 141 votes in the professor category, Hariharan won with 84 votes in the associate professor category, and Khanikar received 121 votes in the assistant professor category. Representing the JNUTA, the all-women panel focused its campaign on key issues such as restoring and strengthening institutional norms and practices that respect teachers' dignity, acknowledge their contributions, and ensure their active participation in university governance.

They have pledged to address concerns related to Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) promotions and probation, among other pressing matters. JNU’s EC, the highest decision-making body of the university, comprises 14 members, including the Vice-Chancellor as Chair and the Registrar as Secretary.

While four deans hold permanent positions, other members are selected by rotation. Three seats are reserved for teachers, with one each for a professor, associate professor, and assistant professor, elected through direct voting.