The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association has written an open letter to President Droupadi Murmu, in her role as Visitor to the university, urging the removal of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit over what it calls a “crisis of governance,” alleging “abuse of power” and “personal vendetta.”
JNUTA alleges the Vice-Chancellor has undermined statutory bodies, centralized decision-making in her office, and adopted a “pick and choose” approach to promotions, appointments, and faculty housing, creating a “carrot and stick” environment to suppress dissent.
The teachers’ body has also asked for the annulment of the termination of Dr. Rohan V. H. Choudhari from the Centre for Political Studies, calling the dismissal unlawful and emblematic of procedural violations.
Requested actions
- Remove the Vice-Chancellor for alleged misuse of powers and erosion of statutory processes.
- Reinstate Dr. Rohan V. H. Choudhari by overturning the termination order.
- Restore democratic functioning of statutory bodies and end arbitrary administrative practices.
The letter, dated September 1, frames the situation as an institutional governance breakdown, with the association asserting that the VC’s tenure has disenfranchised faculty and weakened deliberative processes within JNU.