Write to chancellor over absence of grievance redressal mechanism

Two scientists have recently written to chancellor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) and chief minister expressing discontent over lack of grievance redressal mechanism, show cause notices to members of teachers’ association and several other inconsistencies of the administration in dealing with students and teachers.

The varsity does not recognise the teachers’ association.

K L Chopra, former director of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur and present president of the Society for Scientific Values (SSV), in the letter to the chancellor stated, “The university has no operational grievance redressal mechanism.
The vice chancellor told me that he has a mechanism but it is not correct since the two mechanisms which he has proposed in the past have not been functional at all. Instead of talking to the aggrieved and sorting out the problems, the VC has decided to charge sheet the president and secretary of the teachers’ association with an objective of dismissing them.”

It added: “Whatever protest they have led is a legitimate expression of the frustrated faculty which has no voice in any affair of the University. SSV which stands for ethical and scientific values in academia wishes to express its grave concern on the deteriorating academic atmosphere in the University.”

Citing the case of two deans of education and law allegedly indulging in plagiarism, Chopra said SSV has verified there papers as plagiarised.

“An inquiry committee has been set up by the VC some four months ago and yet no report is available. Instead of acknowledging the problem and taking credible action, he has stated in a newspaper that plagiarism is not a crime and therefore warrants no action,” the letter stated.

Another scientist Yash P Abrol, crop physiologist and member of Indian National Science Academy criticised the ‘over centralisation of powers in VC’s hands, lack of stakeholder consultation, credible grievance redressal mechanism and the flawed structure of the decision making apparatus'’.

Criticising the lack of mechanisms of collective representation for teachers, students and staff through their elected associations, Abrol said, “There is no mechanism to ensure that the VC’s faulty nominees in the decision making bodies as it happens in many universities. At least the chairman of the statutory decision making bodies should be an independent external experts, as it happens in IITs and IIMs, so as to prevent conflicts of interest between the executive and legislative roles of the VC.”