Now, non-teaching staff submit memorandum against Prof Rumina

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 28

After Yogesh, a clerk in English and Cultural Studies department, has been issued a memo for alleged indiscipline and insubordination, the Panjab University Staff Association (PUSA) today came out in his support and submitted a representation against Prof Rumina Sethi.

Prof Sethi had resigned on December 16 from chairpersonship of the English department over a faculty meeting called to resolve the issue between her and the clerk. She claimed in her resignation that she was humiliated in the meeting. Her resignation has so far not been accepted.

The Panjab University Staff Association claimed that they had gone to meet chairperson Prof Sethi on July 18 to resolve the issue. They also alleged that she ignored them and made them wait for over an hour. Deepak Kaushik, president, PUSA, who submitted the memorandum, said she had told them that she would fix the meeting later but she didn’t.

The association had pointed out that all the non-teaching staff of the English department had asked for their transfer to any other department but nothing was done in this regard too.

Kaushik had pointed out that the absence of Yogesh from duty, from October 10 to October 24, was not intentional. He had fungal infection.

He said that since memo was based on false complaints of the chairperson, it should be withdrawn.

Prof Rumina reacts

When contacted about the representation, Prof Sethi said that the charges against her were completely fabricated, not supported by evidence, and a retaliation by the clerk to the chargesheet.

“All charges against the clerk are based on written proof of his dereliction of duty and obnoxious behaviour. As far as his medical leave is concerned, I would have happily given it provided he had submitted a certificate endorsed by the Chief Medical Officer. But the CMO did not sanction his leave and the Head of Dermatology at the PGI said that not even a day’s rest was necessary,” she said.

Prof Rumina Sethi added, “I have no wish to indulge in mud-slinging with a university clerk over issues that the authorities should be handling. I have nothing more to say.”

On allegedly avoiding Kaushik, she said he should not be twisting everything. “I see no reason why I should have avoided him. In fact, I was extremely gracious to him,” she said.