Jawaharlal Nehru University vice chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit has rejected allegations of irregularities in faculty recruitment and promotions, describing the accusations as “propaganda”.The response came after the JNU Students’ Union and JNU Teachers’ Association sought her removal and demanded an independent, time-bound inquiry into alleged violations in the university’s recruitment and promotion processes.“Despite the most transparent, record recruitments, especially of the SC/ST and the OBC in the university in the last four and a half years of my term as VC, I have been made the target of a vicious campaign by the JNUSU and JNUTA. No evidence, only fake propaganda,” Pandit said in a statement.
JNU administration defends recruitment process
The university administration said more than 400 faculty interviews had been conducted and over 200 positions filled since February 2022. It claimed that nearly 70 per cent of those appointed belonged to reserved and marginalised categories.The administration also said it had received no complaints from candidates about the interview process.According to the university, selection committees include three domain experts, a nominee of the Visitor, the concerned dean and the vice chancellor. The Academic Council then approves the candidates selected by the committee.JNU said its Internal Quality Assurance Cell checks candidates’ qualifications and publication claims during the screening process, but does not take part in the final selection through interviews.The administration said publication verification can be particularly complicated in humanities and social sciences because of differences in databases and verification systems. It said this could explain cases where some candidates shortlisted by centres did not eventually reach the interview stage, while others who were initially not selected were later called for interviews.
Students, teachers raise UGC concerns
The JNUSU has alleged that recent media reports raised questions over candidates being brought back into the selection process despite subject experts rejecting them for allegedly failing to meet mandatory University Grants Commission eligibility requirements.The JNUTA, in a separate charter of demands issued on Thursday, claimed that an investigation based on RTI replies, official records and dissent notes of the Executive Council had found that at least seven faculty members were appointed in violation of UGC norms.The university has rejected these allegations and maintained that the recruitment process followed established procedures.
University rejects concerns over promotions and links
On faculty promotions, JNU said nearly 250 applications under the Career Advancement Scheme had been processed since February 2022. This included applications that had remained pending since 2006, which the administration described as the highest number of CAS promotions since the university was established.The administration also dismissed concerns about familial or supervisory connections in appointments. It said having a marital or family relationship could not by itself be treated as either a qualification or disqualification for employment.
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Similarly, the university said being a former student of a supervisor did not automatically amount to a violation of UGC requirements relating to publications.JNU maintained that its recruitment and promotion exercises had been carried out fairly and in accordance with the prescribed procedures.