Jamia Millia Islamia has adopted a controversial government rule that allows forcing employees to take early retirement based on a performance review, causing resentment among university teachers.

Jamia registrar Nazim Husain Al-Jafri issued an office order last week under the subject heading “Periodic review of Jamia’s employees for strengthening of administration under Fundamental Rule (FR) 56(j) and Rule 48 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972”.

“It is to inform that there is a provision under Fundamental Rule 56(j) to undertake periodic review of performance of government servants from time to time with a view to ascertain whether the government servant should be retained in service or retired from service prematurely, in public interest, as per Fundamental Provisions/Rules as referred above,” the order said.

“The government has issued instructions from time to time in this regard and recently the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions, government of India, Department of Personnel and Training has issued an OM (office memorandum) … dated 28th August 2020 and reiterated the said provisions. The above referred DoPT OM dated 28.08.2020 has been ordered to be circulated in the university for information and adoption of all concerned,” added the order, which has been circulated among all deans of faculties, heads of departments and finance officers.

The DoPT order, which has been attached to the notice of the registrar, says the appropriate authority shall have the right to retire a government servant on a notice of less than three months if the employee is in the Group A and B categories and has attained the age of 50. For employees in other categories, premature retirement can be ordered if they have attained the age of 55.

JMI Teachers’ Association (JTA) secretary Prof. Majid Jamil said the university’s teachers were not governed by Central Civil Services (CCS) rules of the government and that they would oppose the move.

“We have our own ordinance on service conditions. We will not allow the government’s service rules to be applied to us. These rules have the potential to be misuse,” Jamil said.

He said the Jamia ordinance on service conditions had been adopted long ago after proper discussions in the academic and executive councils. “These government rules (on premature retirement) have been circulated for implementation without any discussion in the academic council or the executive council,” Jamil said.

A senior administrative staff member of another central university said the University Grants Commission (UGC) had issued the government rules to all central universities, requesting implementation.

“The UGC has sent these rules. But it has not issued any reminder. We have not implemented them yet,” the official said.

Delhi University Executive Council member Rajesh Jha called the rules a tool to silence the government’s critics among academics.

“Teaching and research cannot be equated with the work of government officials. Teachers inculcate critical thinking among students. They do research and arrive at findings, which may not be to the liking of the government. And academic performance cannot be subjected to any standardised assessment. So, it can be misused to please those in political power,” Jha said.

According to him, the possibility of misuse is high, given the targeting and victimisation of academics who have criticised the current regime.

Rajib Ray, the president of the Federation of Central Universities Teachers Association (FedCUTA), the outfit representing the teachers of all central universities, said they would oppose the rules.

An email this newspaper sent to Jamia vice-chancellor Prof. Najma Akhtar for comment on the university’s decision went unanswered.