Left-Leaning JNU Teachers Go On Hunger Strike Against University’s Decision To Frame Rules Of Conduct

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Union (JNUTA) has declared a three-day hunger strike following the university administration’s decision to form a committee to frame conduct and disciplinary service rules, Times of India has reported.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has set up a committee to make suitable recommendations on framing “conduct” and “service” rules for teachers and staff, as per Government of India regulations.

According to the union, the university administration is trying to impose Central Civil Services /Classification Control and Appeal Rules on teachers and administrative staff in the name of Code of Conduct.

Teachers have said that they are also protesting against the administration’s decision to replace the chairpersons of seven schools and a dean. JNU Vice-Chancellor had on Wednesday removed at least seven deans for not complying with or refusing to implement the mandatory attendance system in their departments.

The association has said that it will also approach Members of Parliament, the University Grants Commission chairperson, the Minister of Human Resources Prakash Javadekar and others to get them to intervene and address “the increasingly alarming situation on campus".

The administration has said that a small section of teachers and students are part of the protest. JNU administration has also said that some students have been “preventing the new Chairperson of the Centre for Historical Studies of the School of Social Sciences from entering his office”.

By some accounts, the protest is being spearheaded by left-leaning teachers and has received support from far-left student unions. A panel of left-leaning teachers had swept the JNUTA elections that took place in February this year.