The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has decided to link the attendance of teachers with their salary disbursal. The move comes days after the JNU teachers’ association (JNUTA) observed a day-long hunger strike against the compulsory attendance norm for faculty members.
According to a circular issued by JNU registrar Pramod Kumar last week, the decision was taken during the University’s executive council (EC) meeting. “The executive council in its 277th meeting held on 20 November, 2018, noted that some of the faculty members have not been marking attendance despite clear instructions issued by the university and suggested suitable action for violation of this rule. In this connection, the University had issued two separate circulars for compliance of attendance rules by the faculty…. The council decided that compulsory marking of attendance by faculty members should be linked with disbursal of salary of the faculty,” the circular stated.
Kumar asked all deans of schools and chairpersons of all special centres/centres to provide monthly attendance records of all faculty members to the administration starting from the ongoing month. “Non-compliance will invite appropriate action as per the decision of executive council,” he said in the circular.
The JNUTA, however, said that no such decision was taken during the executive council meeting held on November 20. “The matter neither was on the agenda of the 277th EC meeting nor was the papers relating to it placed under the tabled agenda. Describing a brief and inconclusive discussion on the issue in the meeting as the decision of the EC to link marking of attendance with disbursal of salary is a clear cut act of misrepresentation of facts and brutal act of illegality,” JNUTA president Atul Sood said.
{{/usCountry}}The JNUTA, however, said that no such decision was taken during the executive council meeting held on November 20. “The matter neither was on the agenda of the 277th EC meeting nor was the papers relating to it placed under the tabled agenda. Describing a brief and inconclusive discussion on the issue in the meeting as the decision of the EC to link marking of attendance with disbursal of salary is a clear cut act of misrepresentation of facts and brutal act of illegality,” JNUTA president Atul Sood said.
{{/usCountry}}The JNUTA further said that the move has come in the backdrop of their hunger strike over the norm and them raising financial allegations against the administration. “The reason behind this draconian “no sign, no pay” principal is the administration’s inability to answer questions raised by the JNUTA regarding the financial affairs of the university,” said JNUTA secretary Avinash Kumar.
The teachers’ body has called an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the future course of action.
The compulsory attendance norm has become a bone of contention between the teachers and the administration ever since it was announced in July. The administration had recently announced the installation of biometric system for teachers’ attendance at the campus.