In a big boost to the DUTA, Justice Rajiv Endlaw of the High Court granted a stay on any action against Nandita Narain based on the Fact Finding Committee (FFC) constituted by the University on “complaints” received from the authorities of three colleges. The next hearing has been fixed for 29 October, a day after the term of the current Vice-Chancellor comes to an end. Teachers across the University expressed their relief and joy as one more move by the VC to attack the DUTA was defeated.
The FFC had summoned Nandita Narain to appear before it yesterday. Ms. Narain had communicated to the FFC that she would not be appearing before it since she had challenged the matter in the Court. It was pointed out in the Court today that the moves by the DU administration to take action against her began immediately after the DUTA released its White Paper on misgovernance and abuse of power by the VC, Prof. Dinesh Singh. These moves were systematically pursued as the White Paper led to the issuance of a show-cause notice to the VC by the MHRD in March this year. Clearly, the VC was targetting the DUTA President in retaliation to the DUTA White Paper.
The summons issued by the FFC to Nandita Narain on 14 Oct 2015 followed in the wake of the Visitor writing to the VC expressly denying any extension of even a day beyond the end of his term on 28 October. This letter by the Visitor was in response to the recommendation of the MHRD to send the VC on forced leave after discovering that he had nominated a person on the Search Committee for the new VC whom he had made an honorary professor of the University in 2012.
It has only recently come to light that DU constituted the FFC as early as February 2015 without any authorisation from any statutory body and in complete secret, so that even the person whose actions were to be investigated was kept completely in the dark about its existence. The names of the members of this FFC have still not been made public or communicated to Ms. Narain. In an effort to convince the judge about the legitimacy of the FFC, the counsel for the University revealed during the hearing that a certain professor of Zoology from BHU was a member.
The DUTA reiterates its determination to pursue the charges against Prof. Dinesh Singh who has used his tenure to destroy the academic and democratic foundations of this University.
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