A fresh controversy has hit the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) after it wrote to its emeritus professors over 75 years of age, including historian Romila Thapar, asking them to submit their work in the last two years for evaluation. The move drew flak from academics from across the country.
In response, the university administration on Sunday pointed to “ordinance 32” introduced last year that made it mandatory for the university’s executive council (EC) to review the continuation of the professors emeritus of age 75 years and above. The university did not mention who all fall under this category.
Thapar confirmed to HT that she had received the letter, but refused to comment further. Another professor emerita from the university’s School of Social Sciences Zoya Hasan said, “Nothing of this sort has ever been sent by the University to any professor emeritus. It is absurd.”
Members of the JNU teachers’ association (JNUTA) criticised the move and said that the elected teachers’ representatives to the EC had recorded their dissent on this decision. “This process amounts to insulting the retired faculty members whose immense contribution to JNU had made them distinguished. The JNUTA demands a formal retraction and a personal apology be issued to Prof Thapar at once,” said JNUTA president Atul Sood.
Thapar, who was a professor at JNU between 1970 and 1991, was chosen professor emerita in 1993. In JNU, the centers from which professors retire propose the name for this post. The names are then cleared by a committee constituted by the university and then passed by the academic council and executive council.
{{/usCountry}}Thapar, who was a professor at JNU between 1970 and 1991, was chosen professor emerita in 1993. In JNU, the centers from which professors retire propose the name for this post. The names are then cleared by a committee constituted by the university and then passed by the academic council and executive council.
{{/usCountry}}Presently, the University has 25 professor emerita including Thapar, Sociologist TK Oommen, environmentalist CK Varshney and economist Prabhat Patnaik. These professors do not receive any financial benefits from the University. They can, however, take lectures and supervise research scholars.
“Once appointed, EC as an appointing authority, will review the continuation or otherwise for each existing emeritus professor after attainment of her/his age of 75 years by considering her/his health status, willingness, availability, university needs etc. so that more positions will be available to other potential candidates. For this purpose, EC will appoint a sub-committee for each existing Professor Emeritus above the age of seventy five years, which will examine each case as it deems fit, including by interaction, inviting latest CV, peer group views etc. The recommendation of this committee will be considered by EC for its decision,” the administration said.
In its statement, JNU further stated, “As per the ordinance, the university is required to write to all those who have attained the age of 75 years to know their availability and their willingness to continue their association with the university. Letters have been written only to those emeritus professors who fall in this category. Writing these letters as per the ordinance is not for discontinuation but for an informed review by the executive council, the highest statutory body of the University.”
Thapar’s colleague, Prabhat Patnaik, also criticised the move and wrote a column in an online portal saying, “This current action of the JNU contradicts the very basis on which the status of professor emeritus was conferred on retired faculty in the JNU.The honour is not conferred for work in the future, work that is yet to be done, but for the work that the faculty member has done before retirement.”