JNU Prof Ayesha Kidwai gets Delhi HC to stop admin from hiring new linguistic centre faculty. Here's why

The Delhi High Court has directed the Executive Council of the Jawaharlal Nehru University not to make any appointments of faculty members to the Centre for Linguistics after a plea alleged that it was being done in contravention to the rules.

Justice Suresh Kait issued a notice to the JNU and others on a plea by a varsity professor against appointment of faculty members of the Linguistic Centre.

"Till further order, the executive council not to act on any recommendation that may have been given by the Selection Committee for appointment of faculty members to Centre for Linguistics, during the pendency of present proceedings. I hereby make it clear that if any interviews take place that will be subject to the outcome of the writ petition," Justice Kait said.

The high court's order came on a plea filed by faculty member Ayesha Kidwai seeking a direction to the executive council not to act on any recommendation that may have been given by the Selection Committee for appointment of faculty members to the Centre for Linguistics, during the pendency of present proceedings.

The plea said in appointing an associate professor as the chairperson of the Centre for Linguistics, School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies is in complete contravention of JNU Statute 18(2)(c)(I) which specifically mandates that only professors are to be appointed as chairpersons where more than two professors are available in the Centre.

At present there are four professors available in the Centre for Linguistics, it said.

"The Chairperson of a Centre in terms of working of the University as well as the JNU Statute 27(2) is a necessary part of the Selection Committee for any appointments to faculty positions of Professor, Associate and Assistant Professor in that particular centre. The respondents knowing fully well that the appointment of an Associate Professor as the Chairperson of the Centre for Linguistics is in the teeth of the statutory provision and cannot be sustained, the said respondents are seeking to complete the selection process of faculty members for the Centre for Linguistics by August 18 and have also called for interviews for the post of Assistant Professors," the plea said.

The plea further said the university had issued advertisements inviting applications for appointments to positions of professor, associate professor and one for assistant professor.

The respondents (JNU and others), being aware of the pendency of the writ petition, are now seeking to make appointments in haste as would be evident from the fact that interviews have been called when the petition is listed for hearing on August 19, the plea said.

The high court had earlier set aside an order of the university appointing a Persian language professor as the chairperson of the Linguistic Centre.

It had directed the Executive Council of the JNU to appoint chairperson from the Linguistic Centre itself in accordance with the practice and the law.