Press Report regarding Dharna held by Joint Action Committee of Pondicherry University in Jantar Mantar today

Joint Action Committee consisting Pondicherry University Teachers’ Association and other associations of Pondicherry University successfully held a ‘Dharna’ in Jantar Mantar today demanding the immediate removal of the Vice Chancellor of Pondicherry University. Office bearers and members of Teachers’ and Students’ Associations from all over India participated in Dharna, which lasted for 4 hours. The President of FEDCUTA, Prof. Nandita Narayan and General Secretary of AIFUCTO, Prof. AK Barman, Shri G. Sougoumarane, Secretary of Federation for People’s Rights and several other representatives of DUTA, JNUTA, IGNOUTA, JMITA, AMUTA, Viswabharathi Santhiniketan Teachers’ Association, IGIPESSTA, AIFUCTO and leaders of Students’ Associations such as SFI, AISA expressed anguish over the deafening silence maintained by the MHRD and urged the Ministry to take immediate action against the Vice Chancellor of Pondicherry University.

After the Dharna, representatives of PUTA and the President of FEDCUTA submitted a memorandum to the Minister for Human Resource Development and met Secretary and Joint Secretary of Higher Education and appraised them of deteriorating situation in Pondicherry University. Copies of the memorandum were also submitted to the President, PMO and Ministry of Home Affairs.

Joint Action Committee, a conglomerate of Pondicherry University Teachers’ Association, Officers Association and Non-teaching Staff Welfare Association, have been agitating against the autocratic and corrupt Vice Chancellor of the University. The Vice Chancellor submitted a fake bio data to the search committee and plagiarized her only existing book to the extent of 98%. Though these facts were brought to the notice of the ministry several months ago, so far the ministry did not take any action against the Vice Chancellor.