JNUTA condemns JNU Court's decision on faculty termination, announces protest on October 17

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA) has condemned the JNU court’s minutes related to the termination of Rohan Choudhari, which “paradoxically admits that the rules were violated”.

At the 52nd meeting of the JNU Court, the teachers called it “a clear admission of the fact that in the matter of the termination of Dr. Rohan Choudhari, the University’s Statutes and Ordinances were violated”.

The Chancellor observed that “a probationer is always a probationer” and “apparently lamented on the undue politicisation of the issue of an ordinary service matter of a probationer”.

JNU VC may have ‘misled’ Chancellor

This remark did not go well with the JNU professors, who clearly stated “Mr. Chancellor, your remarks are way off the mark”.

“The vice-chancellor may have misled the chancellor into thinking that CCS (Conduct) rules apply to the faculty in a University like JNU and that they are somehow excluded from enjoying the rights enshrined in Article 19(1) (c) of the Indian Constitution,” the statement read.

Previously, the JNUTA had written twice to the President of India Droupadi Murmu , who is also the Visitor of the university, regarding “illegal termination” of Rohan Choudhari and flagged issues faced by two other faculty members.

In a strongly worded letter, the teachers called this “dark ages” of the university and an abuse of power by the JNU VC.

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Silencing MPs

“A probationer is not ‘always’ a probationer,” the teachers association said, pointing out that any extension beyond one year requires the approval from the Executive Council with proper justification, as per the law. The JNU administration also ignored the recommendations of the chairperson and Dean in the case of Rohan.

“Minutes of the meeting of any decision-making body in JNU these days are of course always very creative products where deliberate omissions of the real and insertions of the fictional are integral elements of the ‘description’ of proceedings,” the JNUTA said.

In the matter of the termination of Rohan Choudhari, this has gone to the extent of even ‘silencing’ Members of Parliament in the minutes, the teachers alleged.

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JNUTA protest on October 17

Accusing the vice-chancellor for her monarchical style rule, the teacher said they are being “asked to accept that the actions of the VC are by definition correct, legally as well as morally, simply because they are her decisions”. Anyone who questions such a decision is considered “treason”.

They further said that the issue is not limited to termination of the colleague, but also on promotions, probation extension, and confirmation processes, recruitment of faculty and non-teaching staff, on house allotment among others.

Taking into consideration, the JNUTA has announced the creation of a Solidarity Fund to support colleagues facing such situations while the struggle for securing justice for them continues.

They also called colleagues to join a protest dharna in front of the SSS2 building on October 17 between 12 noon and 2 pm to oppose the decision of the JNU Court and the contemptuous attitude towards teachers reflected in its minutes.