JNU teachers urge Prez Murmu to remove Vice-Chancellor over governance concerns

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) has again written a open letter to President Droupadi Murmu, the Visitor of the university, seeking the removal of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit.

This marks the second such appeal in just a month, with faculty members raising serious concerns over the alleged misuse of authority and arbitrary decision-making within the university administration.

The teachers highlighted prolonged delays in faculty promotions under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS). One professor, who applied for promotion from associate professor to professor over six years ago, is set to retire tomorrow without her application being addressed. Another faculty member, eligible for promotion for more than a decade, will retire next month under similar circumstances. According to JNUTA, these delays reflect “vindictive practices” and disregard for statutory processes.

Further, the association pointed to the case of Rohan VH Choudhari from the Centre for Political Studies, whose termination was suspended by the Delhi High Court. Despite the court order, JNUTA alleges that harassment and administrative pressure continued, undermining the legal directive and faculty morale.

They allege that the V-C has centralised power in her office, particularly in appointing deans and department heads, in ways that prioritise loyalty over merit. Calling for a thorough inquiry, the teachers’ association urged the President to intervene and take appropriate action. The association said that removing the V-C was essential to restore fairness at JNU.