Ashoka University row: Assistant professor’s resignation accepted

Mukesh Tandon

Sonepat, August 16

Two days after acceptance of the resignation of an assistant professor of the economics department at Ashoka University, rounds of meetings started at the university campus in Rajiv Gandhi Education City.

A meeting over the resignation of two professors from the economics department was held among the faculty members of the department and members of the governing body today.

Besides, the students under the banner ‘Ashoka University Student Government’ have also come in solidarity with their professors for ‘academic freedom’. Earlier, the students also went on strike in support of their professors in March 2021.

The university has accepted the resignation of Dr Sabyasachi Das, an assistant professor. His research paper ‘Democratic Backsliding in the World’s Largest Democracy’ went viral on social media.

Meanwhile, another senior faculty member of the economics department, Prof Pulapre Balakrishnan, who joined the university in 2015, has also resigned. Sources said Balakrishnan has resigned in support of Das, but he was not available for comment.

Somak Raychaudhary, Vice Chancellor, Ashoka University, in an official statement said that Das has submitted his resignation. He is currently on leave from Ashoka, serving as visiting faculty at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics at Pune. After making extensive efforts to dissuade him, the university has accepted his resignation, he said. Das’ paper on Indian elections was the subject of a controversy after it was shared recently on social media.