JNU faculty faces threat of disciplinary action over ‘absence’; teachers allege VC’s vendetta

A young faculty member at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is staring at possible disciplinary action after the administration flagged his alleged “unauthorized absence” — a proposal that reached the university’s Executive Council (EC) on August 27.

In a sharp statement, the JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) condemned the move, arguing that the case had been exaggerated and was rooted in personal hostility. The association said the absence was an “inadvertent omission” triggered by pressing family medical emergencies and did not amount to neglect of teaching duties.

“There is absolutely no basis for any such action… this is nothing more than an inflated charge against a colleague at the beginning of his career,” JNUTA said.

The teachers’ body alleged that Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit had pursued the matter “out of personal vendetta.” It accused her of exercising discretionary powers to block any resolution for over a year and pushing the case towards punitive action instead.

According to the association, a committee formed to review the matter recommended disciplinary action within a week — a speed that, it said, stood in “stark contrast” to the months-long paralysis of other committees dealing with urgent faculty grievances.

Calling recent EC discussion “the final act of a charade,” JNUTA argued the process highlighted selective targeting rather than fair governance.