Kolkata:
In a first in recent times, Kolkata's celebrated Presidency University has sacked a history professor for maligning the institution in public and misbehaving with departmental colleagues. The professor, who joined Presidency from Sheffield University in the UK, insists he resigned first, to protest irregularities in procedures of setting question papers. The controversy has created unease on the campus with some students demanding they want the history professor back.
Benjamin Zachariah was a student at Presidency in the early 90s. Last August he returned from UK to his alma mater as professor of history. But on Wednesday, he was sacked with immediate effect.
"He has been attacking this institution on Facebook....He was making allegations that sought to publicly damage the reputation of Presidency. These allegations are all false and I could not allow this to continue," said Presidency University vice chancellor Malabika Sarkar.
I resigned first, Mr Zachariah insists, because of what he calls an academic fraud. Question papers for an MA exam that he had set had allegedly been changed after they were discussed and sealed on May 10.
"I resigned because there was a serious set of irregularities in a number of procedures and in terms of examination procedures." said Mr Zachariah. "...This is illegal and completely unheard of. It completely destroys the sanctity of the exam."
The VC denies that and claims there was a dispute on the kind of exam to be held. Mr Zachariah had wanted a 'take home' exam but the university decided on a usual sit down exam.
But an external professor on the panel that set the paper, Tapati Guha Thakurta, has written a letter copied to the vice chancellor in which she has expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of rules and protocols being followed at Presidency.
"If there has been any tampering with those questions, it is against all official rules and procedure," she wrote.
Meanwhile, some students at Presidency are openly demanding Mr Zachariah be brought back.
"I don't know why he has been sacked or why he resigned. That is entirely their matter. But as a general student, I think Ben should come back," said Dibyendu Biswas, a second year history student.
Satyaki Majumdar, who is a chemistry student and a debater who often sought help from Mr Zachariah said, "I feel the university could have dealt with the matter with more sensitivity and Ben was justified in doing what he did. But then we want Ben back."
If all this was not embarrassing enough, at least one professor at Presidency University has put in his resignation letter apparently because he was dissatisfied with the salary.