Soon after the teachers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers'Association (JNUTA) decided to call for non-cooperation action, Registrar Dr Pramod Kumar issued an advisory stating that the JNUTA's action plan reflects their intention to disrupt normalcy and also the teachers' service contracts. He also advised the teachers to resume classes in the interest of the students.
The advisory, issued by the Registrar states that thousands of students have already registered for the winter semester and the students have the right to attend classes. "Students of JNU have the fundamental right to attend classes and get advice from their respective supervisors and fulfil their academic requirements," read the notice. "The call for non-cooperation not only goes against the efforts of the administration towards restoring normalcy on campus and resuming of academic activities but also reflects the intention of the JNUTA to disrupt the normal functioning of the university," it further read.
JNUTA Secretary Dr Surajit Majumder said that they will not pay heed to the advisory as they don't consider this administration as their own. "There is no question of taking notice of the advisory because we rejected this administration," he said. "As far as violation of our contracts goes we will decide on our actions when the administration takes steps against us," he added.
The JNUTA's General Body Meeting Resolution on the Non-Cooperation Action Plan implies that they refuse to comply with the two circulars issued on January 10 which asked teachers to be present in their offices for registration, to start classes and other relevant academic activities from January 13 and to upload time-tables for the same. "The JNUTA appeals to all colleagues to implement fully these decisions of the General Body to express our outrage at the continuation of M Jagadesh Kumar as VC even after the mob violence of January 5, in which teachers were also targeted and several of our colleagues injured. We will not become a party to his attempts to create a fiction of 'normalcy' in the University that wishes away the real climate of fear and terror he has created," said Dr DK Lobiyal, President JNUTA.
