‘Public inquiry’ by JNUTA finds V-C unfit for position

‘Jury’ considering class-action lawsuit if he doesn’t step down

October 28, 2017 01:33 am | Updated 01:33 am IST - New Delhi

JNU V-C Jagadesh Kumar

JNU V-C Jagadesh Kumar

The four-day ‘public inquiry’ by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) against Vice-Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar ended on Friday with the ‘jury’ announcing that the V-C was ‘guilty’ as charged on all counts laid out in a ‘chargesheet’.

The JNUTA had asked Mr. Kumar to respond to the ‘chargesheet’, but when he did not respond, it initiated the inquiry. Every day, various charges were read out by the teachers and argued for in front of ‘jury’ comprising academicians, artists, activists, lawyers, journalist and other public figures.

The complete observations by the ‘jury’ are yet to be compiled. The JNUTA, however, said that that V-C was found ‘guilty’ of leading a process that can be unambiguously described as having “disastrous consequences for the future of JNU as a centre of academic excellence” and that Mr. Kumar was “unfit to be the Vice Chancellor of JNU”.

The ‘jury’ said that in case Mr. Kumar refuses to step down, a class-action litigation or an appeal for a Visitor’s inquiry could be the route to ensuring that he does.

‘Will release to public’

The president of the JNUTA said that all observations and the complete final report of the ‘jury’ would be placed before the General Body of the association for “necessary consideration and action”.

The JNUTA added that since JNU is a public institution, all the proceedings and results of the inquiry would be put before the public.

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