DU students start online petition against JNU seeking CV of historian Romila Thapar

In their petition, which has been signed by around 400 persons from India and abroad in the last 24 hours, the students termed the move as “utter disregard” for the stature of scholars like Thapar.

A group of Delhi University (DU) History (Hons) students have started an online petition calling for an “unconditional revocation” of the letter Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration had sent to historian Romila Thapar, seeking her current resume for evaluation.

Some Delhi University (DU) History (Hons) students have started an online petition calling for an “unconditional revocation” of the letter Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration had sent to historian Romila Thapar. (HT ARCHIVE)

After a row over the move, JNU had clarified that it had in July sent similar letters to 11 others emeritus professors, who had attained the age of 75 years, seeking same details citing ordinance 32 of the university that allows the executive council (EC) to review the continuation of professors emeritus of age 75 years and above. The ordinance was introduced in August last year.

In their petition, which has been signed by around 400 persons from India and abroad in the last 24 hours, the students termed the move as “utter disregard” for the stature of scholars like Thapar.

“We, the undersigned students who have read and engaged with Professor Romila Thapar’s work on multiple occasions during the course of our study, would like to express our astonishment and anguish in equal measure, at the decision of the administration of Jawaharlal Nehru University to ask for the curriculum vitae of hers. The rank of an emeritus faculty in the academia is a mark of distinguished scholarship and outstanding contribution before retirement. It is never contingent upon the anticipation of future scholarly work.”

The JNU teachers’ association (JNUTA) on Tuesday also wrote to the administration demanding immediate revocation of the letters. “The JNUTA demands that all such letters to Professors Emeriti issued by the JNU registrar be immediately retracted, any review of their performance put to an end, and a personal apology be tendered to each of them forthwith,” read a statement issued by JNUTA president Atul Sood.

JNU Registrar Pramod Kumar said the university is following the “standard procedure”. “It doesn’t mean that anyone will be asked to discontinue against their will,” he said.