Within a day of taking a decision to include two more members in the three-member high-level committee set up to inquire into the February 9 event, the JNU administration on Wednesday appointed two se
Within a day of taking a decision to include two more members in the three-member high-level committee set up to inquire into the February 9 event, the JNU administration on Wednesday appointed two senior faculty members to the panel.
According to JNU registrar Bupinder Zutshi, vice-chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar has nominated Prof. G.J.V. Prasad from the Centre of English Studies and Prof. Ummu Salma Bava from the Centre of European Studies as new members of the committee. “The two members were appointed to “help the committee in conducting the ongoing inquiry over the February 9 incident,” said Mr Zutshi.
After a meeting with deans of all the schools and chairpersons of all the special centres on Wednesday to discuss steps being taken to restore normalcy on campus, the JNU vice-chancellor had approved the inclusion of two more members in the committee. Decision is seen as major boost to the students and the JNU Teachers’ Association who had made the demand, but the decision was not welcomed by the other group of teachers.
Mr Zutshi said it was done to broaden the base of existing committee and make the whole process more transparent, open and free. “Re-constituted committee has also provided more representation to different sections. Now, the committee has representation of woman, minority and both science and arts departments,” added Mr Zutshi.
Apart from reconstitution of the old committee, the students and teachers had demanded dropping of sedition charge against all the six JNU students. Mr Zutshi said that the students were booked on sedition charges by the police and court will decide on it. “JNU’s committee will find out whether these students violated the university’s rules or order. If they are found guilty of doing such activities, then the committee will recommend disciplinary action. It may call for rustication and debarment from academic activities for time period as decided,” he added.
