The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration has issued show cause notices to its 27 teachers for participating in a hunger strike last month against the varsity’s directives on rescheduling the academic calendar and compliance of faculty attendance, sources said Friday. JNUTA president Atul Sood and Secretary Avinash Kumar are among those who have received the show cause notices on December 19, they said.
The teachers have been given one week’s time to explain their position, “failing which it will be presumed that they have nothing to say in their defence and disciplinary action under the admissible rules will be initiated against them”, they added.
In the show cause notices, the varsity said the JNUTA were given an opportunity to “send two representatives or office-bearers to discuss the issues with the rectors, registrar and concerned officers of the university”.
Through a circular issued on November 25, request was made not to hold protests or hunger strike at the JNU’s administrative block and attention was also invited towards Rule M-7(6) of the Academic Rules and Regulations of the university to honour the Delhi High Court’s directions which prohibit hunger strikes, dharnas within 100 meters from the administrative block and academic complexes.