A few faculty members trying to create negative image of JNU: VC

By Joymala Bagchi
New Delhi [India], September 10 (ANI): The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration on Friday said that a few faculty members within the varsity are trying to create a negative image of the university that was "unfortunate".
On September 9, JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) said in a press release that "administrative high-handedness continues to destroy JNU". In the press release, the association had objected to some appointments made to the JNU administration, the composition of the Executive Council and forming of a new medical institute within the University campus.
Calling members of JNUTA as "armchair critics", Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, JNU Vice-Chancellor, told ANI, "There are a few faculty members in the university who are trying to create a negative image of the university which is very unfortunate. While the whole country thinks so positively about the university, a few of our own colleagues are trying to pull down the image and the functioning of the University."
The V-C said, "Some people are talking about the establishment of the medical school in the University. A lot of groundwork was done about the establishment of the medical schools and is in tune with the statutes of the University."
"Whatever decisions we take are discussed in JNU's statutory bodies. Whether it's establishment of the School of Medicine or implementation of NEP or the recent course on counter-terrorism. Any criticism that these things are not well discussed is unfounded," added the V-C.
"No substantial discussion was allowed which is borne out of the absence of any recorded dissent against these matters in the Minutes," read the press release.
JNU's recent decision to add a medical college, which the Academic Council unanimously approved, was also criticised.
When asked, the V-C states, "The statute very clearly says that the University shall confer degrees in various areas and one such is a doctor of medicine, bachelor of medicine and others. If some people are opposing they are opposing the statues of the university itself which is not a good thing for the development of the university."
This school also said to offer PhD, MD, MS, DM, MCh and MBBS degree programmes with an emphasis on modern medicine.
The land that has been allotted to the University is in the green zone here, said sources. "A lot of construction cannot be done but they should be aware that the university has a vision plan, and as a part of this vision plan we have already allocated year marked more than 200 acres of land for the expansion of the academic programme. So the JNUTA is opposing the very vision of development," sources told ANI.
Any decision that JNU takes for the university is being extensively discussed with the top statutory body of the university, said the V-C.
Recently, the university's executive council approved a new counter-terrorism course that has been criticised by a section of teachers and students over its content.
The JNU was rated as the second-best University in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NRIF) by the ministry of education. (ANI)