JNU VC Santishree Pandit Rejects Teacher Recruitment Irregularity Claims
Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit on Sunday dismissed allegations of irregularities in teacher recruitment, describing them as a malicious campaign run by university unions following demands for her resignation.
The row erupted after the JNU Students Union and the JNU Teachers’ Association demanded Ms. Pandit’s resignation on Thursday. The two unions alleged that university rules regarding faculty appointments, promotions, and housing allotments were applied arbitrarily based on personal or political-ideological affiliations rather than merit or standardized seniority norms, citing instances such as the bypassing of the established rotation system for appointing deans and chairpersons.
Rejecting the allegations on Sunday, Ms. Pandit stated that sections of the media had been running a fake and malicious campaign using false, distorted, selective, or unsubstantiated narratives against her. She maintained that the university has carried out transparent and record recruitments, particularly for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Other Backward Class candidates, during her four and a half years as Vice-Chancellor, calling the accusations fake propaganda without evidence.
In an official statement released on Sunday, the JNU administration said the media story, titled 'Friendly Hires' by The Reporters’ Collective, was part of a malicious campaign by disgruntled left-leaning JNUTA figures based on a selective interpretation of University Grants Commission regulations and JNU practices. The administration termed it a political campaign aimed at embarrassing the university and the Government of India, particularly following defeats in the Delhi High Court involving two hardcore Urban Naxal cases.
Defending its recruitment record, the JNU administration stated that it has conducted more than 400 interviews and filled over 200 positions since February 2022, representing the largest hiring drive in the university’s history. The administration added that nearly 70% of those hired belong to reserved and marginalized categories and noted that no complaints had been received from candidates regarding the interview process.
