The Hindu : V-C's decision draws flak

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2003

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V-C's decision draws flak

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI FEB. 10. Recommendations of a committee appointed by the Delhi University Vice-Chancellor, Deepak Nayyar, to frame a code of conduct for meetings of the Executive Council (EC) have drawn much flak from the University's Academic Council (AC), as rules of conduct for EC meetings apply to all AC meetings as well.

Members of the AC today accused the Vice-Chancellor of "usurping and bulldozing'' their democratic rights. Describing the recommendations of the Committee -- to be laid before the EC on February 11 -- as "draconian'', AC members P. Kakra, S.C. Panda, Sadhna Sharma, Dinesh Adlakha and C.K. Jaggi among others will register their protest by staging a dharna outside the venue of the EC meeting.

As per the recommendations of the committee, set up in May last year, members of the EC cannot question or comment on the ruling of the Chairman (the Vice-Chancellor) and cannot sit on dharna. It is also proposed to limit zero hour to one hour and to "questions or issues of an emergent nature''. The AC members strongly oppose this with the argument that the stipulated time is not enough to discuss pressing issues, given that meetings are held infrequently. The AC alleged that the Vice-Chancellor was uncomfortable with members raising issues such as changes in service conditions of teachers and examination reforms.

Members also allege that despite their demanding regular meetings of the AC and EC (AC rules say these meetings are to be held on the fourth Thursday of every month), the meeting on February 11 is being held after a gap of ten months. Also, they accuse the Vice-Chancellor of "frequent violations of the provisions of the Delhi University Act, Statutes and Ordinances'', such as calling experts on selection committees for appointment of teachers in various subjects from outside the panel approved by the AC.

The AC representatives are of the view that while previous Vice-Chancellors conducted AC and EC meetings under the existing regulations on code of conduct, Prof. Nayyar `wants to assume dictatorial powers' with a code of conduct formulated by nominated members in which the elected members of the AC and EC had no say. The Chairman, Academics for Action and Development, S.S. Rathi, said "protest is a democratic right. Even that is being denied. A code of conduct is needed for the Vice-Chancellor, not for the AC.''

As per the recommendations, violations of the code of conduct will invite censure, temporary withdrawal or suspension from membership for the rest of the meeting, and in case of gross misbehaviour, suspension by the Chairman with the consent of two-thirds of the members present.

The members also raised the question of the misuse of emergency powers by the Vice-Chancellor despite a communication from the President of India, as Visitor of all Central Universities, that these powers should be scarcely used.

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