Teachers at Jadavpur University have written to education minister Bratya Basu seeking his “active intervention for removal of the impasse” on the campus that has resulted from the officiating vice-chancellor's decision to stay away from the office.
The Jadavpur University Teachers' Association has written in the letter: “In this circumstance, we, the teachers of the university, are facing an unprecedented statutory crisis which may lead towards complete collapse of the administrative discipline required to sustain academic normalcy.”
"It has now become extremely difficult to run the basic essential services for teaching-learning process... which may affect its reputation adversely during scheduled NAAC/NBA visit.”
The teachers have mentioned in the letter that officiating VC Buddhadeb Sau is staying away from the office even after the state higher education department told him that he may continue as the authorised VC.
While greenlighting Sau's continuance as VC, the government challenged the power of the chancellor, the Bengal governor, to terminate his tenure.
The chancellor had ordered the removal of Sau from the post of officiating VC on December 23. Since then, Sau has twice been told by the department that he should continue as authorised VC. But he is not attending office citing conflicting orders from the government and the governor.
Sau had said in a statement earlier this week that he was awaiting clarity from the Supreme Court, which is hearing a petition on who has the authority to appoint officiating VCs — the state government or the chancellor.
The teachers have sought an appointment with education minister Basu to discuss steps "for immediate restoration of normalcy".
Parthapratim Roy, secretary of the teachers’ association, said important matters such as approving the revised syllabus for the four-year undergraduate programme and sending theses of students of doctoral programmes to external examiners are stuck.
“Unless he attends office and approves the procedures, these tasks cannot be carried out. The university has to renovate two departments that are expecting teams from the National Board of Accreditation soon. The campus has to be renovated as a team from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council is expected to come in April," said Roy.
VC Sau had said on January 2 that he would not go to the office or sign files unless the state education department cleared the air on his position.
A clarification was also sought by registrar Snehamanju Basu as a section of teachers and officials at JU wanted to know who had the signing authority. .
Sau told The Telegraph on Thursday: “I am surprised to know the same teachers who doubted whether I had the authority to sign files and forced the registrar to seek a clarification from the department are holding me responsible for the chaos. A day after I went to the office on December 27, they started raising questions about my powers. After the department told the registrar on December 23 that I could continue as VC, why did they raise questions about my continuance?”
“Since there is so much confusion, we should all wait for the court’s verdict.”
Calls and text messages from this newspaper to the education minister went unanswered.