After referendum, JNU V-C urges students to be discovers, innovators

NEW DELHI: A day after the outrage expressed through referendum on Tuesday by the JNU Teachers Association against the ‘autocratic’ functioning of Vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, the premier varsity organised a convocation ceremony on Wednesday. The convocation ceremony has remained suspended for last 46 years.

The varsity revived the practice on Wednesday conferring PHD degrees on more than 400 students.

Vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar in his address urged the students to become “discoverers and innovators” and use their ideas for the good of society.

However, the ceremony was suspended thereafter allegedly because of an anti-establishment speech by student leader VC Koshy who is believed to have spoken at the same function.

The convocation ceremony was also marred by controversy as a PHD student refused to shake hands with the V-C even though the later gestured him for a handshake.

The referendum clearly shows an intense tug of war between the teachers’ association and the V-C, where more than 90 per cent of the teach- ers voted against the Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) loan for the University, and “discriminatory policies” and the total breakdown of the consultative process.

“We called for the referendum against the total breakdown of the consultative process under which various academic decisions are taken in the Academic Council.

No opinion is sought and matters are not discussed. Some of the decisions are very casually mentioned and then decided upon on the basis of this chitchat,” JNUTA President Sonajharia Minz.

Of the almost 580 teachers in the JNU, around 300 had cast their ballot, said in statement. However, 279 voters voted in favour of the V-C being relieved, 8 voted in favour of the V-C staying in which 8 votes invalid and 5 voters abstained.