JU teachers may soon lose freedom to criticise state govt

Image
Press Trust of India Kolkata
Last Updated : Aug 08 2016 | 10:28 PM IST
Teachers and other employees at Jadavpur University may soon lose the freedom to publicly criticise the state government if the Chancellor approves a new revised statute.
According to some revisions made in the draft statute by the West Bengal Higher Education department, if any employee of the university is found to be involved in "unethical propagation of state's policy in media and press" it shall be treated as an act of misconduct.
It also says that other grounds of misconduct will be those which can be detrimental to the interest of the state and the university or the institution he is serving, as may be considered by the state government and university.
JU officials said the revised statute will now be examined by the executive council after which they will send it to the Chancellor for final approval.
"The new draft statute was written in 2013 but now suddenly the government has revised it," officials said.
The revised draft has come under criticism from teachers of the state-run varsity who think it would amount to interference in day-to-day matters of Jadavpur University.
Another clause in the draft says the Vice Chancellor will be the disciplinary authority for teachers and shall not be entitled to impose any punishment other than censure on any teacher.
Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Suranjan Das and state education Partha Chatterjee could not be contacted for comment.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Aug 08 2016 | 10:28 PM IST

Next Story