Faculty attendance: HC stays JNU circular
NEWDELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday stayed a circular issued by the JNU administration, making it mandatory for the faculty to mark attendance, failing which no leave requests or their proposals will be considered, even if it is to attend conferences and seminars abroad.
Justice Suresh Kait stayed the operation of the November 13, 2018 circular and sought response of Jawaharlal Nehru University on a plea by a teacher challenging the circular.
The court listed the matter for further hearing on May 3.
The petition was filed by professor Archana Prasad from the Centre for Informal Sector and Labour Studies who had to attend a conference in South Africa from December 6-16, 2018 and she sent a leave application on October 9 last year but the university administration declined it relying on the November 13 circular.
She again requested for leave on December 13, 2018 on receiving an invitation from The Sam Moyo African Institute for Agrarian Studies for a pro- gramme from January 21 to 25.
Prasad applied for leave from January 20 to 27 but it was again rejected on January 2 on the grounds of “not following attendance rules”.
On Monday, the court directed the JNU to grant her leaves within three days to attend the programme.
Senior advocate Rebecca John, who appeared for Prasad, sought quashing of the November 13 circular and said her leave applications were for a legitimate academic purpose and they were blindly rejected for noncompliance with the faculty attendance rule.
The petition, filed through advocate Maanav Kumar, said the rule was illegal and ought to be set aside so as to prevent the arbitrary and excessive exercise of power by the authorities. It said Prasad’s leave requests were bonafide and denial of leave on the basis of faculty attendance was “unreasonable, arbitrary and discriminatory.”
Central government’s standing counsel Monika Arora, appearing for the JNU, said as per the rules of UGC and JNU, it is mandatory for teachers to mark their attendance.