JNU recruitment scam: JNUSU alleges corruption, political patronage

JNU Students' Union condemned corruption in the university's recruitment process, citing a report by an independent media forum. It alleged that appointments are driven by political patronage and ideological bias, bypassing UGC regulations.

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) strongly condemned the corruption in the recruitment process of JNU, which has been alleged in a report by an independent media forum. "We all at the university have been suffering due to such appointments driven by corruption and RSS-oriented political affiliations. As we exposed earlier this year, corruption under the Vice-Chancellor is all-round. From non-teaching staff recruitment to security guard contracts, corruption has become the default nature of the administration," JNUSU alleged in its statement.

JNUSU Alleges Widespread Corruption

"The large-scale corruption in the recruitment process of JNU has been exposed by The Reporters' Collective in its investigation ", Recruitment Scam at JNU Unearthed." For years, students and teachers have been raising concerns that appointments in JNU were increasingly being driven by political patronage, ideological affiliation, and administrative manipulation rather than academic merit. The investigation now presents documentary evidence suggesting that candidates who were initially rejected by subject experts for failing to meet mandatory UGC eligibility criteria were later brought back into the selection process and appointed through the intervention of the university administration and its Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC)," it alleged.

JNUSU alleged that mandatory UGC regulations are being bypassed and dissent notes from elected Executive Council members are being ignored. The union stated that such practices strike at the "very foundation of academic integrity and institutional autonomy."

The union further highlighted a pattern of "arbitrariness and favouritism," alleging that while "favoured appointments" are being made, eligible faculty members are being subjected to "prolonged denial of promotions." "The findings are especially alarming because JNU is one of India's premier public universities, funded by public money and entrusted with setting standards of higher education. When mandatory UGC regulations are allegedly bypassed, when recruitment processes are rendered opaque, and when those tasked with safeguarding academic quality become instruments of administrative interference, the credibility of the university is fundamentally undermined. The report also highlights the contrast between allegedly favoured appointments and the prolonged denial of promotions to many eligible faculty members, exposing a pattern of arbitrariness and favouritism that has damaged teaching, research, and the future of students," it said in a statement.

The JNUSU claimed that this administrative interference has damaged teaching, research, and the future of students at the premier institution. "The JNU community has already been suffering under an administration marked by repeated allegations of irregularities. As we have consistently exposed, corruption under the present Vice Chancellor is not confined to faculty recruitment alone. From non-teaching appointments to security contracts and administrative decision-making, opacity and favouritism have become the defining features of governance in the university. This latest investigation only confirms what students and teachers have been experiencing on the ground," it said.

Vice-Chancellor 'A Repeat Offender,' Alleges JNUSU

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) has levelled serious allegations of "administrative corruption" against Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, calling her a "repeat offender." In a sharp critique, the JNUSU cited a past inquiry report by Justice J.A. Patil (Retd.) which allegedly found Dr. Pandit guilty of "misconduct and moral turpitude" during her tenure at the University of Pune. The union claimed she deliberately admitted ineligible students into seats reserved for Persons of Indian Origin (PIO). The statement further alleged that vigilance checks revealed she had faced major penalties in the past, including the permanent withholding of five increments in 2011 and two increments in 2017. The JNUSU claimed that these findings expose a history of "deliberate" irregularities and "moral turpitude" on the part of the Vice-Chancellor.

Past Misconduct Cited

"According to a report submitted by Inquiry Officer Justice J. A. Patil (Retired), Dr. Mrs. Shantishree Pandit, then Director of the International Students Centre at the University of Pune, was "proved to have been guilty of misconduct and moral turpitude. The report found that "the delinquent has deliberately given/recommended admissions of some students for seats in the 15% supernumerary quota even though she was aware of the fact that they were ineligible and therefore not entitled to be given admissions in the 15% supernumerary quota. This conduct on the part of the delinquent, who has high academic qualifications and who holds a responsible post of Reader in the University and who has vast experience of several years in the academic field, clearly suggests moral turpitude on her part. The Vice-Chancellor had then used seats meant for Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) for individuals who were not entitled to them," said its statement.

JNUSU Demands

JNUSU demanded the "immediate removal of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit from office. Immediate removal of IQAC director PR Kumaraswamy and a stop to all ongoing recruitments under his tenure." It also demanded a time-bound judicial or court-monitored independent inquiry into all faculty recruitments conducted during her tenure. A comprehensive audit of the role of the IQAC and Executive Council in recruitment and promotion decisions. Full public disclosure of recruitment records, screening committee proceedings, shortlists, and appointment-related documents was demanded by JNUSU. Accountability and legal action against all officials found responsible for violating UGC regulations and manipulating recruitment processes, it further said.

JNUSU said that JNU belongs to its students, teachers, workers, and the people of this country--not to any political network seeking to capture public institutions. We call upon the Ministry of Education, the UGC, democratic organisations, and all sections of the academic community to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and that the principles of transparency, social justice, and academic excellence are restored. (ANI)

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