Delhi University professor’s V-C candidature shadowed by harassment case

Some academicians and women activists on Tuesday petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee against candidature of Delhi University professor Bidyut Chakrabarty for the post of DU vice-chancellor, citing an eight-year-old sexual harassment complaint against him filed by a university employee.

The academicians from DU and JNU, along with several women organisations, said that allegations of sexual harassment were made by an employee of Gandhi Bhavan in 2007 against Prof. Chakrabarty and that he must not be considered for the V-C’s post.

While the group claimed that DU’s sexual harassment committee had found him guilty and he was asked to step down from the post of Gandhi Bhavan’s director and HoD, political science department, Prof. Chakrabarty refuted the allegations, saying he had sought deputation from university during the period to take up two foreign assignments in Germany and USA.

“It is shocking that the Visitor appointed Prof. Bidyut Chakrabarty to the executive council of JNU on October 8, 2015 and his name now features as a candidate for the prestigious position of the vice-chancellor of the University of Delhi. The university’s apex committee had found him guilty in 2010 and he was removed from the position of Gandhi Bhavan director and HoD, political science department. He was also debarred from holding any administrative post in DU for a period of three years,” the petition said.

“Any vice-chancellor or executive council member must possess a sterling record on gender equality. These positions demand gender-just governance which includes making policies, judging cases of sexual harassment an active implementation of law against sexual abuse at workplace,” it added.

Refuting the allegations, Prof. Chakrabarty said the complaint against him was in retaliation to a show-cause notice issued by him to the complainant. He also claimed that he was never punished by the university and he stepped down from the positions on his own to take foreign assignments.

“I don’t know whether my name features among the shortlisted candidates for DU V-C or not and above all if I was declared guilty by the university’s apex committee, how was I entitled to diplomatic passport using which I travelled for two assignments abroad since 2010,” Prof. Chakrabarty told PTI.

“I sought deputation for assignments in universities in Germany and USA and I went there. I was never punished. The complaint by the Gandhi Bhavan employee was in retaliation against a show-cause that I issued her due to dereliction of duty,” he added.

The academicians and activists from women organisations, including All-India Democratic Women’s Association, Saheli, Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan, All-India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA), Jagori and Joint Women’s Programme (JWP) among others, raised these concerns at a press conference here on Tuesday.

JNU professor Nivedita Menon also claimed the findings of report of DU’s apex committee on sexual harassment that was tabled and accepted by the executive council in 2007, which resolved that a letter of warning be issued to Prof. Chakrabarty and he should be asked to step down from the directorship of Gandhi Bhavan.

The search committee for DU V-C consisting of three members — including UGC chairman and former CAG Vinod Rai and former chairman of the Union Public Service Commission D.P. Agrawal — is believed to have shortlisted four names including Prof. Chakrabarty in a meeting on December 13.