New Delhi: In the culmination of its Month of Protests, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) on Thursday led a mass delegation to meet the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit. The meeting, which lasted for an hour and a half, was also attended by the Registrar, the Director of IQAC, and the Deans of six schools who are members of the Executive Council.

During the discussion, the Vice-Chancellor conveyed her apologies for the delay in holding the meeting, explaining that it had been postponed in June due to her ill health. The delegation had already submitted a detailed memorandum on June 2 outlining its concerns.

According to the JNUTA, the interaction, while marked by disagreements on several issues, remained cordial and focused on identifying possible resolutions. Faculty representatives expressed their deep sense of alienation and loss of dignity, alleging a “policy of pick and choose” in matters such as CAS promotions, probation, confirmation, and appointments. They argued that such practices had damaging implications for gender and social justice.

The delegation also raised concerns over the lack of an effective institutional mechanism to address sexual harassment and what they described as selective interpretations of court orders.

In response, Prof. Pandit assured the teachers that her office does not endorse any discriminatory practices and acknowledged shortcomings in administrative processes that may have led to such perceptions. She promised to prioritise processing promotion applications, especially for faculty nearing retirement, and directed the Registrar to work with the JNUTA to make procedures more transparent.

Discussions were also held on ensuring proper constitution of selection committees, and on restoring confidence among teachers who feel excluded from academic decision-making, such as those concerning the university’s entrance examinations. The Vice-Chancellor, however, noted that funding constraints imposed by the government have significantly limited the university’s autonomy in several matters.

While Prof. Pandit agreed to address certain issues—like anomalies in the Academic Calendar—at the university level and invited JNUTA’s participation, no commitments were made regarding the return to the principle of rotation in appointments of Deans and Chairpersons or the resumption of physical meetings of statutory bodies.

The JNUTA said it would continue to monitor follow-up actions and maintain dialogue with the Vice-Chancellor’s office. An Extended Executive meeting has been scheduled for Friday, July 11, at 4 p.m. in the JNUTA office to review the outcomes of the Month of Protests and to decide the future course of action. The association has invited all colleagues to participate in these deliberations.

Click Here for More Latest News