JNU Teachers Go on Strike Against University’s 'Imposition' of Service Rules of Conduct

New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Union (JNUTA) on Monday gave a call for a three-day strike following a General Body Meeting against the administration’s forming a committee to frame conduct and disciplinary service rules.

In a statement released by JNUTA, the organisation said it had noted the attempt by the administration to impose CCS (Central Civil Services) /CCA (Classification Control and Appeal) Rules on teachers and administrative staff in the name of Code of Conduct.

“The GBM condemns this move as an attack on academic autonomy, pedagogical freedom and an attempt at repression of dissent. The GBM demands that there should be no incorporation of CCS/CCA rules on faculty members in JNU,” the statement said.

Accusing the administration of imposing CCS/CCA Rules on faculty members and administrative employees of JNU by appointing a committee comprising only nominated members, JNUTA said it is going on a ‘satyagrah’ against the move.

Apart from the three-day strike, JNUTA is organising a “Save JNU” protest march, hunger strike till Wednesday and press conferences as a part of a multi-pronged approach. They will also approach MPs, the UGC chairperson, the Minister of Human Resources Prakash Javadekar and others to intervene in order to address “the increasingly alarming situation on campus".

The organisation is also planning public mobilization including invoking the support of FEDCUTA, AIFUCTO, intellectuals and civil society representatives along with a signature campaign from JNU alumni and academia across India and abroad to support a “Save JNU” campaign.

JNUTA appealed to ‘faculty colleagues” to refuse administration’s offer of chairperson ship/deanship in solidarity with those whose chairpersonships/deanships were arbitrarily terminated

“If demands are not met by Wednesday evening based on the resolution… future course of action to step up the struggle will be chalked out by the JNUTA leadership," the statement said.

JNU VC M Jagadeesh Kumar formed the committee to make suitable recommendations for framing regulations for conduct, disciplinary service rules for teaching and non-teaching employees of the university for consideration of the Executive Council by a circular dated March 6 2018. The committee will look into areas where the university statutes, rules, regulations are silent. “The university will open to make its own rules in these matters from time to time,” the circular said.

The Committee of 14 members was formed with professor SC Garkoti, rector, as the chairperson. It is expected to submit its recommendations to the VC within the four weeks of the notification.