JNUTA accuses JNU administration of 'lawlessness without limits' in faculty termination case

By A Representative

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) on Thursday issued a strong statement accusing the university administration of “lawlessness without limits” in its handling of the case involving Dr. Rohan Choudhari, a faculty member of the Centre for Political Studies whose termination has been challenged in court.

The JNUTA statement, dated September 18, 2025, referred to a Delhi High Court order that recorded the university’s submission that Dr. Choudhari’s termination “will be kept in abeyance” until the University Court disposed of his appeal.

According to JNUTA, despite the appeal being submitted on September 9, no steps were taken by the administration to implement the assurance until September 15, when Dr. Choudhari filed another application before the High Court seeking clarification. The association said that only after this move did the university acknowledge his appeal, confirm his membership of the faculty, and release his pending salary.

“The termination was always a vindictive act in which the contemptuous attitude of the VC and her retinue towards statutory provisions and rules and regulations were in full display,” JNUTA said, adding that the administration’s subsequent actions showed “contempt for the Court order.”

The association also objected to the creation of a “Standing Committee for Confirmation,” which it described as a “sudden invention” without statutory backing. The notice issued to Dr. Choudhari on September 17, asking him to appear before this committee within days, was termed by JNUTA as “yet another instance of the lawlessness that has gripped the University.”

Raising broader concerns, the statement alleged that faculty promotions, particularly of women, were being delayed or denied as a means of exerting pressure. It criticized the vice chancellor’s “ruling by fear,” claiming that legitimate promotion cases had been pending for years and that some senior faculty were being forced to retire without clarity on their designation.

“As the JNUTA has already stated, the VC has lost all legitimacy among the University faculty. This will not be reclaimed by her continuing efforts at terrorizing the faculty and victimizing those who speak up,” the statement said.

The association concluded by reaffirming its support for faculty members who, in its words, “stand with their heads held high” in resisting what it described as “a vicious Administration.”

Comments

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Kolkata dialogue flags policy and finance deficit in wetland sustainability

By A Representative Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks.

'Fraudulent': Ex-civil servants urge President to halt Odisha tribal land dispossession

By A Representative A collective of 81 retired civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group has written to the President of India expressing alarm over what they describe as the wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The letter, dated April 19, 2026, highlights violent clashes in Kantamal village where police personnel reportedly injured over 70 tribal residents attempting to protect their community rights.

Dhandhuka violence: Gujarat minority group seeks judicial action, cites targeted arson

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

Maoist activity in India: Weakening structures, 'shifts' in leadership, strategy and ideology

By Harsh Thakor* Recent statements by government representatives have suggested that Maoism in India has been effectively eliminated, citing the weakening of central leadership and intensified security operations. These claims follow sustained counterinsurgency efforts across key regions, including central and eastern India. However, available information from security agencies and independent observers indicates that while the organizational structure of the CPI (Maoist) has been significantly disrupted, elements of the movement remain active. Reports acknowledge the continued presence of cadres in certain forested regions such as Bastar and parts of Dandakaranya, alongside smaller, decentralized units adapting their operational strategies.

Why link women’s reservation to delimitation? The unspoken political calculus

By Vikas Meshram* April 16, 2026, is likely to be recorded as a special day in the history of Indian democracy. In a three-day special session of Parliament, the central government is set to introduce a comprehensive package of three historic bills: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Delimitation Bill, 2026; and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The stated purpose of all three is the same: to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (106th Constitutional Amendment) passed in 2023. However, the political intent concealed behind these measures — and their impact on the federal balance — is far more profound. It is absolutely essential to understand this.

From Manesar to Noida: Workers take to streets for bread, media looks away

By Sunil Kumar* Across several states in India, a workers’ movement is gathering momentum. This is not a movement born of luxury or ambition, nor a demand for power-sharing within the state. At its core lies a stark and basic plea: the right to survive with dignity—adequate food, and wages sufficient to afford it.

Catholic union opposes FCRA amendments, warns of threat to Church institutions

By A Representative The All India Catholic Union (AICU) has raised serious concerns over what it describes as growing threats to religious freedom, minority rights, and constitutional safeguards in India, warning that recent policy and legislative trends could undermine the country’s secular and federal framework.

Midnight weeping: The sociology of tragic vision in Badri Narayan’s poetry

By Ravi Ranjan* Badri Narayan, a distinguished Hindi poet and social scientist, occupies a unique position in contemporary Indian intellectual life by bridging the worlds of creative literature and critical social inquiry. His poetic journey began significantly with the 1993 collection 'Saca Sune Hue Kaï Dina Hue' (Truth Heard Many Days Ago). As a social historian and cultural anthropologist, Narayan pioneered a methodological shift away from elite archives toward the oral traditions and folk myths of marginalized communities. He eventually legitimized "folk-ethnography" as a rigorous academic discipline during his tenure as Director of the G.B. Pant Social Science Institute.

Counterview

Search This Blog