Delegations of JNU teachers' association, students' union meet MPs

Delegations from the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association and students' union Friday met MPs from across political parties who promised to raise issues related to the varsity in Parliament, the JNUTA said.

The delegation has felt encouraged by the promise made by the parliamentarians to raise the matter in Parliament and also outside, they said.

The JNUTA also informed the MPs that 37 teachers have approached the Delhi High Court on the MCQ-based computerised online JNU entrance examination.

The body said they have sought the attention and intervention of the MPs in protecting a public university that has acquired excellence in research and teaching nationally and internationally.

"We provided the MPs a comprehensive document that exposes the vice chancellor's role in destroying the teaching and learning process in JNU.

"The delegation pointed out to the MPs about the vice chancellor's violations of the JNU Act, statutes and ordinances by constant misuse of his power of authority," the JNUTA said.

The MPs were also informed about "the drastic cut in the academic expenditure" in the university, including alleged fund cut for the JNU library and for e-journals, it said.

Issues of harassment of teachers, penalising members of the faculty and denying them their legitimate dues and undermining students' safety and welfare were also raised, the body said.

The JNUTA claimed that the Delhi High Court has said no disciplinary actions can be initiated against teachers for criticising the online entrance exams.

"Finding merit in the petition of the teachers, who it recognised as having the best interests of the students at heart, the HC in an interim relief observed that no disciplinary actions can be taken against teachers for raising their dissent to the process and extended the JNU administration's deadline of December 21 for submitting their question papers to December 31," it said.

The papers which are so submitted shall be subject to the outcome of the petition, they added.

The writ petition challenges the decisions made by the JNU vice-chancellor and its executive council on procedural and substantive grounds, the JNUTA added.

The petition also challenges the tripartite MoU signed between the varsity, HRD Ministry and the UGC without the approval of the academic council.

"The petition raises several substantive issues about the unsuitability of an exclusively MCQ-based online JNUEE for disciplines in the social sciences and the humanities, the implications it is likely to have on disadvantaged sections and persons with disabilities, the quantum of costs involved, the fallibility of technology, and several other points.

"The next date for the hearing is January 11 next year," the body said.