JNU Seat Cuts: 'Disappointed By HRD Minister Statement', Says JNUTA
New Delhi:
Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA) in a statement said that the association is disappointed at the statement by the Minister of Human Resource Development regarding the number of research scholars working with each faculty in JNU. The JNUTA also said that they consider the remarks by Prakash Javadekar as unbefitting of the Minister of Human Resource Development. This reaction from JNUTA came in response to the minister's remarks in Parliament yesterday in which he said that there were instances of professors guiding upto 20-25 scholars for their PhDs.
The Minister's statement came during the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha when members expressed concern about the state and the quantum of research, including PhDs, being done in the country.
JNUTA's public statement listed its arguments with five points;
"First of all, the claim that there are JNU teachers guiding more than 20/25 registered students is simply false, as this suppresses the important fact that JNU like other universities across India, has a provision that allows students to deregister from the university.
"Second, even where a somewhat larger number exists, the imputation that there has been any indiscretion by any JNU teacher in garnering students is extremely unfortunate.
"Third, JNUTA must remind the Hon'ble HRD Minister that the figures of 8, 6, and 4 now pronounced to be the maximum number of students an Assistant, Associate, and a full Professor may supervise have not been in place from time immemorial, but rather date from July 2016.
"Fourth, while it is bad enough to impute that JNU teachers are habitual offenders for just fulfilling their Constitutional obligations and commitments to social justice, we are aghast that the 'punishment' being meted out to the university is through seat cuts, whose primary effect will be to subvert the very policies of reservation that mandated an increase of intake to the university.
Read: More updates from Jawaharlal Nehru University
"Fifth and finally, please allow JNU teachers to earn their salaries, as we are always mindful that the people of India pay them to us".
The Minister's statement came during the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha when members expressed concern about the state and the quantum of research, including PhDs, being done in the country.
JNUTA's public statement listed its arguments with five points;
"First of all, the claim that there are JNU teachers guiding more than 20/25 registered students is simply false, as this suppresses the important fact that JNU like other universities across India, has a provision that allows students to deregister from the university.
"Second, even where a somewhat larger number exists, the imputation that there has been any indiscretion by any JNU teacher in garnering students is extremely unfortunate.
"Third, JNUTA must remind the Hon'ble HRD Minister that the figures of 8, 6, and 4 now pronounced to be the maximum number of students an Assistant, Associate, and a full Professor may supervise have not been in place from time immemorial, but rather date from July 2016.
"Fourth, while it is bad enough to impute that JNU teachers are habitual offenders for just fulfilling their Constitutional obligations and commitments to social justice, we are aghast that the 'punishment' being meted out to the university is through seat cuts, whose primary effect will be to subvert the very policies of reservation that mandated an increase of intake to the university.
Read: More updates from Jawaharlal Nehru University
"Fifth and finally, please allow JNU teachers to earn their salaries, as we are always mindful that the people of India pay them to us".
