JNUTA JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION               Faculty Centre, JNU New Campus, New Delhi – 110 067

JNU  |  Home  |  Activities  |  Bulletins  |  JNUTA Constitution - Original and Amended  |  Media Coverage  |  Photo Gallery  |  Links  |  Archives  |  JNUTA Presidents/Secretaries- 1973-2007  |  Convocation address of Balraj Sahni 1972 | Chancellor address

JNU revokes order to expel 8 students By OUR CORRESPONDENT New Delhi, Aug. 8: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has revoked the order that called for rustication of eight university students. The students’ body of the university has termed it as a moral victory. Meanwhile, the teachers body of the university has expressed its deep concern on "denigration and disregarding" of Jawharlal Nehru University Teachers Association by the varsity administration. Bowing before the continuous protests of Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU) and 24 days after it reached with an agreement with the student body after they went for a13-day hunger strike, the university has revoked its rustication order. Eight students of the varsity were rusticated from the university for protesting against minimum wages to the labourers working at the campus. "JNU students have proved that we will not allow our fellow students to be thrown out of the campus for demanding minimum wages for workers," said Tyler Walker Williams, vice-president of JNUSU while reacting to the revocation order. The university has, however, fined Rs 1,000 to six students while Rs 2,000 to other two students. The students body has said that they will fight against the imposition of the fine also. "Such punitive measures and fines are uncalled for and go against the spirit of the agreement with the JNU administration. Our position was that no individual student must be singled out and punished for a gherao which was collectively led by the JNUSU and for which JNUSU and the UGBM attended by over 600 students collectively regretted. We will not allow individual students to have to bear the burden of fines for a collective protest on workers’ rights," said general secretary Sandeep Singh. Meanwhile, the JNUTA has expressed it concern over the decision of the university administration and accused it of denigrating the teachers’ body. The JNUTA called its general body meeting where in it passed a resolution against the university attitude towards the Jawharlal Nehru University Teachers Association. The General Body Meeting of Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association has expressed concern over the administration’s attitude of “denigrating” the association. The GBM “deplored the administration’s decision to bypass the seniority” of current JNUTA president Chaman Lal in the matter of appointment of the chairperson of the Centre of Indian Languages and demanded that this order be revoked immediately. The GBM also claimed that Vice-Chancellor B. B. Bhattacharya and the administration had “completely neglected” the 42-point charter of demands submitted by JNUTA regarding the problems that are faced by the faculty members. The GBM has authorised the Executive Committee to chalk out a plan of action if the demands are not resolved by the administration within a reasonable time.    JNU teachers congratulate Sainath New Delhi, August 3 NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association has congratulated P. Sainath, Rural Affairs Editor of The Hindu, on winning the Ramon Magsaysay Award. “Right from his much acclaimed book ‘Everybody loves a good drought’ to his recent writings on peasant suicides in Maharashtra and elsewhere, Mr. Sainath has brought glory not only to himself and ‘The Hindu’ but also to JNU,” said JNUTA president Chaman Lal in a statement. “As president of the JNU Students’ Union in the late 1970s and as member of the Executive Council, Mr. Sainath always supported social issues relating to all sections of the University community,” added Prof. Lal. Pratibha congratulated New Delhi, July 29 NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association has congratulated Pratibha Patil on taking over as the country’s President. She will also serve as Visitor of JNU and other Central universities. “It is an honour for JNU to have the first woman Visitor. We hope that as a Visitor, you will protect and promote the liberal, humanist and democratic traditions of JNU as propounded by Jawaharlal Nehru in whose name and ideas this great institution was established,” said JNUTA president Chaman Lal.                      JNUTA demands UGC pay revision panel Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 6 The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA) Executive Committee, at a meeting held yesterday, took many important decisions, including passing of a resolution demanding the setting up of a UGC pay committee for pay revision of university and college teachers. The meeting, presided over by Prof Chaman Lal, JNUTA president, resolved the UGC pay committee should have been set up immediately after the Union Government set up a pay commission for central government employees. The JNUTA also demanded enhancement in the superannuation age of university teachers up to 65 years, which has been recommended by the Veerappa Moily committee also. It also passed a resolution demanding cancellation of a notification regarding the nomination of three faculty members to the JNU Executive Council. As the ministry has notified elected representation of the faculty in the council, one each for professor, associate professor and assistant professor, the elections must be held to these posts. The nomination of the present three faculty members to the Executive Council was flawed on technical grounds as well as two associate professors had been nominated in place of one and no assistant professor was nominated. The JNUTA Executive Committee has appealed to the nominated members to resign on their own. The association has also demanded elected representation in the Academic Council as well, which has been allowed in case of students. At the meeting, the JNUTA also co-opted the vacant positions in the Executive Council. Dr Vivek Kumar is joint secretary, Dr Sanghmitra is treasurer, Dr Janshruti is representative from the School of Languages, Dr Vikas Rawal and Dr Vidhu Verma from the School of Social Sciences, Prof B. C. Tripathi from the School of Life Sciences, Dr Krishan Kumar from the School of Environment Sciences, Dr Sushil Kumar from the School of Computer Sciences and Dr H. S. Shiv Prakash from the combined group.   Bhagat Singh Chair at JNU proposed Staff Reporter Plan forwarded by Prof. Chaman Lal of the Centre for Indian Languages NEW DELHI: A powerful figure in the freedom struggle and arguably one of the youngest and most charismatic revolutionaries, Bhagat Singh is all set to become "stronger". To give him a fitting tribute during his birth centenary year in 2007, a group of intellectuals have proposed to set up a Bhagat Singh Chair at Jawaharlal Nehru University here. The proposed Chair would focus on "the anti-colonial, anti-feudal revolutionary movements in India during 1757-1947". The proposal, spearheaded by Prof. Chaman Lal of the Centre for Indian Languages in JNU, seems to have found support from different quarters. Apart from leading historians Bipan Chandra and Mridula Mukherjee who have strongly endorsed the proposal, the Left leaders have also come out to lend their support. "It is a very worthwhile proposal to set up a Chair in a Central University like JNU. As far as I know, there is no other such Chair. It would be a good idea to set it up especially in the birth centenary year of Bhagat Singh,'' said Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat. But despite the enthusiastic response to the proposal, there is still the question of funds. With finance still a stumbling block in this dream to showcase the intellectual aspect of Bhagat Singh, it is being hoped that the committee responsible for the upcoming centenary celebrations in 2007 established by the Centre will be able to make it come true. "There is not a single chair or a university named after Bhagat Singh. All the other national leaders have educational institutions named after them. We are hoping that this committee, which is looking at the birth centenary celebrations of Bhagat Singh and the 60th year of Independence among others, will be able to provide us the funds. A member of the programme implementation committee has agreed to raise this in the meeting this Thursday,'' says Prof. Lal, who has also edited the freedom fighter's documents. Taking his legacy forward to reach out to the youth, it is also suggested that the Chair be made functional in the School of Social Sciences with a "multi-disciplinary" approach. It has also been suggested that the Chair concentrate on research and offer more fellowships as and when it generates more funds. With grand plans for the Chair, Prof. Lal believes that the Punjabi community abroad can also be tapped to generate funds for a library. "Bhagat Singh has always remained alive in the minds of people. He was well read and had a fine mind. The Chair will give us an opportunity to spread awareness about this side of him and do more,'' says Nehru Memorial Museum and Library director Mridula Mukherjee.   Online edition of India's National Newspaper Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 ePaper JNUTA welcomes decision NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association has welcomed the decision of the National Programme Implementation Committee to set up a Bhagat Singh Chair at JNU here. A proposal to this effect was moved by the JNUTA president, Prof. Chaman Lal of the JNU Centre for Indian Languages. The JNUTA is also celebrating its 35th Foundation Day this Wednesday where eminent historian Bipan Chandra will be honoured on being appointed National Research Professor. Online edition of India's National Newspaper Thursday, Mar 29, 2007 ePaper A trip down memory lane at JNU The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association celebrated its Foundation Day in the Capital this past week. The programme began by paying homage to past presidents and secretaries of JNUTA who have passed away. The gathering welcomed new members of the faculty who have joined the University since October 2006 and honoured all former presidents and secretaries of JNUTA, including Yogendra Singh, the first president of the Association. Current president Chaman Lal took a trip down memory lane narrating the history of the Association that came into existence on March 21, 1973. Prof. Lal pointed out that despite JNUTA's role as a democratic association in the University, its constitution had never been published. The Association took an initiative in this direction and published the constitution as a monograph that was released at the function by Prof. Singh. Eminent historian Bipan Chandra, who was recently appointed National Research Professor, was honoured at the function. He released a historic document comprising the convocation address delivered by noted actor Balraj Sahni in 1972 that has been published by JNUTA. The function was attended by a large number of senior scholars, including JNU Vice-Chancellor B. B. Bhattacharya.