In midnight mail to profs, IIT holds disciplinary action in abeyance
Times of India | 8 December 2024
Kolkata: Around 80 among the 86 members of IIT Teachers' Association, who were served show-cause notices, received a midnight email, where the registrar, Amit Jain, said though their act stood "vitiated" as per the Conduct Rules of the Institute, no "further action" was being taken against them while he was "reserving the legal rights in the matter".
These 80-odd professors had on Friday replied to the show-cause notices issued to them by the institute, while five-six professors are yet to submit their replies. An official said the faculty members received the email between 11:30 pm on Friday and 12:30 am on Saturday.
IIT-Kgp issued a statement on Saturday, where the authorities said, "Out of 85 professors, 18 professors have apologized and their cases have been condoned. 62 professors responded to the show-cause notices on Dec 6. The authority has informed them although their act ‘stands vitiated', no ‘further action' is being taken while ‘reserving the legal rights in the matter'."
IITTA members said their continuous protests and solidarity from the alumni as well as other institutes prompted the authorities to send the email. Pointing out that IITTA office-bearers were still show-caused and three HoDs were removed from their posts, a member said, "The plan to file a writ petition in Calcutta HC stays unchanged. It will be done by next week. We will continue our protest in different forms." Many professors said the pressure from the alumni, who were huge donors, was significant in the dispute. While many alumni individually mailed the authorities, a letter, with over 300 signatures, was submitted to the BoG chairman on Friday, asking him to "restore trust and harmony" at IIT Kgp. An official said as IIT-Kgp's reputation was "being maligned outside, the administration resolved the issue".
The 86 professors were issued show-cause notices on Nov 28 for signing a mass petition to the registrar, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the show-cause notices against the IITTA office-bearers and the general secretary for writing to the Union education minister, alleging irregularities at the institute. The show-cause notices, which stated that their act violated the Conduct Rules of the Institute, asked them to reply within seven days why action should not be taken against them for signing on the mass petition. Some professors sent an apology to the IIT authorities, claiming they were unaware of the content of the letter and the Conduct Rules. But most professors clarified they were not "part of any mass representation" to the registrar, as alleged in the Nov 28 show-cause notices. They wrote the "representation" was merely a "resolution" unanimously passed at the IITTA extraordinary GB meeting. The professors staged three-day silent protests till Friday.
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