Scholars’ group harming varsity, JNU tells Delhi HC

New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration has told the Delhi High Court that a small group of “so called scholars of eminence” is damaging the reputation of the “great university” by alleging that the vice-chancellor has arrogated the power of faculty recruitment.

The raking up of such issues by some faculty members “goes against the smooth functioning of an institution of higher learning and research,” the JNU said in its reply before the court on Friday.

The university’s response came after a plea was filed by five JNU faculty members, alleging that V-C M. Jagadesh Kumar has arrogated himself the power to make additions to the panel of experts, from which he would nominate experts to the selection committee for the purpose of faculty appointments.

However, the affidavit filed by JNU countered the allegation stating that there was no violation of statutes and the “action taken was urgent in nature, inescapable and essential to ensure that deadline for admission process is met without any hassle.”

It said that the recruitment process is time consuming and an would have serious ramifications in running academic programmes.

The submissions were made by the JNU registrar in a status report filed before a bench of justice Indermeet Kaur.

The affidavit, filed through JNU’s counsel Monika Arora, sought the dismissal of the petition which alleged that the V-C arrogated the power to himself through a resolution passed in the EC meeting on November 22 last and a December 26 meeting of the academic council.

The court has fixed the matter for further hearing on September 8. The petitioners’ counsel Vrinda Grover had claimed that the UGC Regulation unambiguously and clearly provide that the V-C shall have the power to only nominate experts to the selection committees from the approved data base of panel of experts.

“The V-C has no authority under the law to add any name to the said panel of experts” said the petition