New Delhi: Amid the ongoing dispute between the faculty and the administration, the IIT Kharagpur Teachers’ Association (IITTA) urged the institute’s board of governors Thursday to intervene and help in expunging show-cause notices issued to 86 faculty members, restoring their administrative positions and ensuring protection to the association’s office bearers from any arbitrary or retaliatory actions.
The conflict between the IIT Kharagpur administration and teachers’ association began in September, when the association accused director Virendra Kumar Tewari of “nepotism” and “arbitrary faculty recruitment” in a letter to the Union Ministry of Education. They called for the appointment of a successor with strong academic credentials and experience in inclusive governance.
Tensions escalated when the administration retaliated by issuing show-cause notices to IITTA office bearers and initiating disciplinary action for not responding within seven days. The situation worsened as 86 faculty members who had signed a petition in support of the IITTA were also issued show cause notices. The IITTA claimed that some of the department heads among the 86 faculty members were replaced.
After this, a senior official in the administration told ThePrint that 20 faculty members who were signatories submitted their apology letters Friday which is condoned by the authority. “The rest responded to the show cause notice which seems to have been considered by the competent authority,” the official said.
The administration also announced that no action would be taken against those who responded or tendered an apology.
The IITTA held an extraordinary general body meeting Wednesday evening, after which it approached the board of governors Thursday.
In a letter to the board’s chairperson, T.V. Narendran, the teachers’ association expressed growing concern over an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, particularly regarding the office-bearers, whose deadline for response has been extended to 13 December. They fear the office bearers may not receive a fair hearing and that the administration may act hastily, further eroding trust.
Also Read: Did humanities focus slow India’s progress? New study says vocational education helped China grow
IITTA’s requests and apprehensions
The association requested the board of governors’ intervention in expunging the show-cause notices issued to 86 faculty members, restoring the administrative positions of those affected, restricting press statements that fuel tension, and ensuring protection for office-bearers against retaliatory actions. They also urged the chairperson to visit the campus to meet with the faculty directly and help rebuild trust between the administration and the academic community.
A senior faculty member who wished not to be named told ThePrint that the letter had also been forwarded to the IIT administration. “We have requested that the show-cause notices be expunged from the official records of all affected faculty to prevent any long-term professional repercussions.”
The association raised concerns about several young faculty members having allegedly been coerced into submitting “apology letters” despite no substantive allegations against them. It also criticised the administration for publicly declaring which faculty members had apologised.
The association warned that such press statements could severely damage the institute’s reputation and erode trust between faculty and administration.
It said that there had been a trend over the past five years wherein around 25 senior faculty members were forced to resign from leadership roles such as dean and head of department/centre.
“This untrustworthy environment has contributed to a significant loss of faculty, with over 50 members leaving the institute, particularly from the core departments, under the current administration. This is an unprecedented situation in the institute’s history and is deeply concerning for all members of the academic community,” the association said.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
Also Read: Cost of higher education in India is leaving parents drained, in debt. ‘We put our own dreams on hold’