Savitribai Phule Pune University Vice-Chancellor Dr Suresh Gosavi has assured teachers and non-teaching employees that no resignation or suspension will be forced under pressure from a political organisation or group, following a protest by nearly 200 staff members on the university campus.
The protest, held on Wednesday, raised concerns over alleged political interference, increasing workloads, additional responsibilities and pressure on employees involved in university administration. Staff members said these issues were affecting the academic environment and causing distress among employees carrying out their duties.
After meeting representatives of teachers’ associations, officers and employees, Gosavi issued a written response addressing the concerns. He said disciplinary action would be taken only after a thorough inquiry and that the university would safeguard the rights and dignity of students, teachers, employees and officers.
The Vice-Chancellor also said that decisions at the university would be taken in accordance with due legal process. The assurance comes amid concerns over the role of external pressure in administrative decisions, particularly after disciplinary action was taken against two students following an incident involving girls’ hostel residents.
During the meeting, Geeta Shinde, head of the Education Department who had recently taken additional charge of the girls’ hostel, reportedly described the incident and alleged that she had received calls from political figures seeking the reinstatement of the expelled students. Shinde said she had spent the night with the girls involved and had witnessed the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Her account brought the issue of external intervention in university administration into the centre of the staff protest. The source report did not identify the political figures who allegedly made the calls or state whether the students’ expulsion had been revised.
Gosavi rejected reports that Shinde had been removed as hostel head. He said she had voluntarily requested to be relieved of the additional responsibility in view of the circumstances at the time, and added that the university would issue a clarification on the reports.
The Vice-Chancellor further stated that the university campus could not be used for protests or events unrelated to the institution. He also said employees assigned additional responsibilities would be given the authority necessary to discharge those duties.
The dispute highlights the administrative pressures faced by university staff when disciplinary, hostel and student-safety decisions overlap with demands from outside the institution. The assurances issued by the Vice-Chancellor place due process and formal inquiry at the centre of the university’s stated response.
Gosavi appealed to the protesting employees to call off their agitation and cooperate with the university administration. The university’s proposed clarification on the hostel-head reports is the next stated step in addressing the controversy.
