Mandatory attendance: As JNUTA protests, some teachers break rank
NEW DELHI: While several Jawaharlal Nehru University teachers expressed deep concern and dismay at Aakrosh Dharna in the varsity over the decision taken in the general body meeting held last Friday, a bunch of faculty members alleged that JNUTA officebearers have been spreading false information on the implementation of compulsory attendance.
On Monday morning, during their protest, members of JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) affirmed that they won't negotiate with those who are responsible for the current crisis facing the university.
Several teachers who spoke at the dharna highlighted the numerous instances of administrative functioning and expressed the teachers' resolve to resist this.
Several students also joined their teachers in this protest. Several speakers also pointed out that the attack being witnessed in JNU was part of a larger attack on public higher education in the country.
During the protest, JNUTA demanded immediate withdrawal of the circulars issued on attendance. This issue must be debated in the Academic Council in a proper manner first.
“We also demand that the Vice-chancellor convene a Academic Council on the 23rd of February, as scheduled earlier. JNUTA is ready to have dialogues with the administration on the multiple problems currently plaguing the university. However, if our demands of reinstating the JNU ordinances and statutes, as well as the withdrawal of arbitrary diktats, are not met, JNUTA will be left with no option but to intensify its struggle,” Sonajharia Minz, Association president, added.
JNUTA said in a statement that the issue of attendance is just the tip of the iceberg.
There have been many instances over the last two years where the Academic Council proceedings have been circumvented.
Shockingly, Sudhir Kumar Suthar, JNUTA Secretary, said it was ironic that the University was ready to implement compulsory attendance rules for students without paying any heed on long remained unattended.
“There is a crying need for infrastructural upgradation. Teachers struggle for basic facilities such as computers, rooms to work in and proper laboratory conditions. The library is under pressure due to its limited seating capacity, academic buildings lack safety features such as fire exits and the science schools struggle for space for laboratory equipment,” Suthar stated.
“Far more damaging than the infrastructural shortages, is the fact that promotions of several faculty members have been stalled since long, leading to demoralization for the younger faculty,” he added.
On the other hand, a crowd of 50 teachers, alleged that JNUTA is spreading false information over the compulsory attendance, whem the fact is that the “JNU administration is only formalising the procedures of attendance in the classroom, tutorials, discussion meetings as prescribed by the UGC guidelines as well as adopted by the JNU ordinance (para 10, section C).”
They said JNU administration was bound to implement the academic and administrative rules and regulation to improve the accountability of JNU academic programs.