JNU teachers' body threatens action

Teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have threatened action if the vice chancellor fails to fulfil their charter of demands within 21 days.

The JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) has submitted the charter of demands to Vice Chancellor S.K. Sopory. The demands include a wide range of issues on promotion and pension scheme.

"It was decided at the general body meeting that collective action be undertaken by JNUTA and the chancellor should be approached for favourable decision if the VC fails to fulfil the demands pending for a long time," JNUTA president Arun Kumar said.

The President of India is the chancellor of the prestigious university.

Kumar added: "We demand that the VC should immediately write to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to allow JNU to have its own modified form of recruitment and promotions, which is not based on the mechanical Academic Performance Index (API) system that is leading to many problems."

The faculty has also demanded the setting up of an Administrative Reforms Committee for decentralisation of the decision-making process.

Alleging that the institution is diverting the faculty from its "essential academic tasks to bureaucratic hassles", the teachers have also requested the administration to facilitate rather than place hurdles in their working.

He said: "Further, the university should immediately take a position in the matter of allowing faculty to switch from Contributory Provident Fund (CPF) to General Provident Fund (GPF) based on the April 2014 judgment of the Delhi High Court.

"This matter is pending for over a decade."

The high court, in its judgment, had allowed the teachers to avail the benefit of the CPF scheme even if they had opted for it several years after 1987.

CPF pension scheme gives a lump sum amount at the time of retirement but no pension unlike the GPF scheme which entitles a member to a monthly pension after retirement.

"JNUTA strongly opposes the proposed recovery from CPF/GPF account of individual employees purportedly resulting from the higher interest rate paid over the government's prescribed rate," he said.