Savitribai Phule Pune University vice-chancellor Suresh Gosavi has said staff members will not face resignations or suspensions under pressure from organisations, crowds or groups, with disciplinary decisions to be taken only after a thorough investigation.
Gosavi made the statement while addressing teachers and non-teaching staff at Sant Dnyaneshwar Hall in the university’s main building on Wednesday. Staff members had raised concerns about alleged political and organisational interference, increasing workloads and additional responsibilities affecting the academic environment.
“The rights of all constituents of the university (students, employees, teachers, officers) will be equal and all decisions will be made through the procedure prescribed by law,” Gosavi said. He added that employees would be given the necessary powers along with additional responsibilities and that the university would not compromise the dignity and fundamental rights of teachers, staff or students.
The assurance followed a protest by students on Monday, when they demanded the resignation of the rectors of the girls’ hostel. The protest came after students alleged that the rectors had failed to support a girl who was subjected to moral policing by two male students on the campus on Sunday night.
Students also demanded the suspension of the two male students and sought equality in gender-based hostel in-time rules. Gosavi clarified that the girls’ hostel rectors had resigned voluntarily, considering the seriousness of the situation, and had not been removed by the university as reported in some media accounts.
Geeta Shinde, head of the education department and interim officer in charge of the hostel, said she had received calls allegedly from the personal assistant of a politician asking her to protect the two male students. The university had suspended the students, according to the report.
Shinde called for standard operating procedures to govern the handling of different allegations and for improved safety infrastructure so that students, including boys and girls, could move safely around the campus. She also urged the administration to support teachers who report pressure or political and other forms of interference.
Several teachers and non-teaching employees cited instances in which staff members were allegedly removed from posts or suspended because of pressure from student organisations or political actors without due process. They said such actions had resulted in humiliation and mental stress.
A teacher also sought the creation of a quick response team and clear policies for dealing with hostel and academic matters. The demands place the university’s immediate response to the hostel dispute alongside a wider call for defined procedures, institutional support and accountable decision-making. Gosavi said legal decisions would be taken after investigation, while the university’s next steps include addressing the reported hostel concerns and staff requests for formal procedures.
