Jadavpur University has withdrawn an explanation notice issued to professor Arup Gayen over his approval of a campus convention addressed by Neha Bora, following protests from teachers and students against the university’s action. The university has also dissolved and reconstituted the committee that had cleared the event.
Gayen had approved the programme in his capacity as chairman of the university’s approving and programme monitoring committee. The convention was held at KP Basu Hall on October 5. After the event, teacher and student organisations affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh accused Gayen of procedural lapses in allowing the programme to take place at the venue.
The university subsequently issued Gayen an explanation notice, asking him to clarify the circumstances in which the event had been approved. Vice-chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharjee later informed him by email that the notice had been revoked after a discussion between the two.
“As per the trailing mail, I have asked you to give me an explanation regarding the approval of a programme held on October 5. Now I understand under what circumstances and in what context the programme was approved by you as the chairman of the ‘approving and programme monitoring committee’. Based on the discussion the undersigned had with you, I feel no more written explanation is required from your side,” the vice-chancellor wrote.
“Accordingly, the explanation asked from you has been revoked,” he added.
Bhattacharjee told Metro that he had spoken to Gayen and then concluded that no written explanation was required. “The chapter is closed,” the vice-chancellor said.
The committee responsible for approving and monitoring programmes has meanwhile been dissolved and reconstituted. Asked about the change, Bhattacharjee said any committee could be dissolved and reconstituted at any time. He described it as a routine exercise and said the new committee was a balanced panel that would perform its duties fairly under the usual terms of reference.
The decision to withdraw the notice followed opposition from a section of the university’s teaching community. The Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association met the vice-chancellor on Wednesday and objected to the action against Gayen. A teacher who attended the meeting said faculty members provided voluntary service while heading university panels and that penalising them could discourage other teachers from cooperating with such committees.
The teacher said the vice-chancellor had promised that the notice would be revoked. The withdrawal has now formally ended the explanation process against Gayen, according to the email sent by the vice-chancellor.
The episode has also placed the university’s event-approval system under scrutiny. The available account records opposing claims: RSS-affiliated organisations alleged that permission for the October 5 event was granted in violation of procedure, while the university has accepted the committee’s approval and withdrawn its demand for a written explanation from its chairman. The reconstituted committee is expected to handle future programme approvals under its stated terms of reference.
