Out of total 586 listed faculty members at JNU, 300 turned up to cast their votes. Among the voters, 93% or 279 teachers voted in favour of the VC being relieved (8 were invalid and 5 abstained.) 96% of the voting teachers voted against the HEFA loan for the university.
New Delhi: The results of the JNUTA referendum are out and it is very clear that teachers want the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar to go and the Rs. 515 crore HEFA loan should be cancelled.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) organized a referendum on August 7, asking the JNU teachers to vote on two questions: (1) Should the current Vice-Chancellor of JNU be relieved of his office? and (2) Should JNU take a HEFA loan?
Out of total 586 listed faculty members at JNU, 300 turned up to cast their votes. Among the voters, 93% or 279 teachers voted in favour of the VC being relieved (8 were invalid and 5 abstained.) 96% of the voting teachers voted against the HEFA loan for the university.
External observers who were invited to observe the referendum included Prof. M.H. Qureshi (noted geographer), Prof. P.K. Yadava (eminent scientist), Prof. Arun Kumar (noted economist) and Prof. Chaman Lal (acclaimed writer), all of whom are retired professors of JNU as well as ex-presidents of the JNUTA.
They opposed the proposal seeking a loan of Rs. 515 crore from Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) for what the JNUTA called were the V-C’s “pet projects”. The association believed that the loan will lead to “indebtedness for the university community”.
“In a surprise turnout, 300 faculty members out of a total strength of 586 listed faculty of the university turned up to cast their votes, despite heavy showers through the day and more so, despite the general atmosphere of fear that has been created by the current administration. The university has been recently indulging in individual targeting, issuing notices against faculty members who dare to express dissent in any manner. For instance, on the day after a protest march that took place last week, individual letters were issued against those who were “…seen to be …” protesting. The numbers who turned up to cast votes (300) is therefore substantial, given the numerous faculty who are currently on long leave and deputation; those who are fearful of personal targeting (whose confirmations and promotions etc. are on the line); and those who are currently holding administrative posts,” said Sonajharia Minz, President of JNUTA and Partho Datta, VP.
“Today’s referendum followed a protest march around the university campus on the 31st of July to register resistance against the Vice Chancellor and his administration, who over the last two and a half years, have vitiated the academic environment of the university campus. On 3rd and 4th of August, JNUTA had organized a convention on public higher education. On the first day of the convention, an array of parliamentarians from across a spectrum of political parties spoke on the recent changes in public higher education and also extended support to JNUTA’s struggle. The second day of the convention was held in JNU and included the screening of a film on JNU and a panel discussion including teachers’ associations from across the country. The JNUTA events successfully underscored the high level of concern on the current state of public higher education in general and on the recent targeting of JNU in particular,” they said.
Sabrang India had reported in July that the JNUTA had planned protest against the vitiating academic atmosphere. JNUTA put forward seven charges against the administrations and their callous approach to serious offences before launching their protest on July 31.
“JNU was built with objectives of a socially, economically and a gender-just university and also achieved exceptional academic record much before joining of the present Vice-Chancellor, into an authoritarian ‘teaching shop,’ a statement by JNUTA read.
Related articles:
JNU teachers go on strike against University VC and administration