DU teacher may be sacked for ‘false’ complaint

“During the course of four years or so, the teacher had alleged that some officials had sexually harassed her. The committee was appointed in 2013. Headed by a retired judge, the committee  investigated the teacher’s charges but found that the person had not been taking classes or performing her official duties for a long period of time. It found that the charges she levelled to be baseless and defamatory in nature,” an EC member said.

The issue of the takeover of University College for Medical Sciences (UCMS) by the Delhi government also came up in Friday’s EC meeting.

“The matter has been placed before the EC as a reporting item. The EC has been provided a letter of the deputy secretary to the Government of India, which demands that the university implement the Cabinet decision of 25.08.2005.

In response to this letter, the DU officials (through a letter of the Registrar dated November 25, 2015) agreed to comply and allow Delhi government to take over UCMS. The university did not even seek the complete proposal. The decision on the matter could not have been taken unilaterally by DU officials. The Vice-Chancellor cannot use emergency powers to take such a decision,” EC member Abha Dev Habib, said in her dissent note, on the reply of the university consenting the takeover of UCMS.

HC dismisses DUTA president’s plea

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a plea by Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) President Nandita Narain, challenging the setting up of an inquiry committee by the governing body of St Stephen’s College for alleged remarks made by her against college principal Valson Thampu. Narain is an Associate Professor of mathematics at the college.

The court of Justice Valmiki J Mehta dismissed her plea after the counsel for the college assured the court that the committee was merely a “fact-finding one” which was conducting a “preliminary inquiry” and not disciplinary proceedings.

The inquiry committee, headed by former Delhi High Court judge Justice Manmohan Sarin, was formed after serious remarks were allegedly made by Narain against Thampu in a 2013 interview. The newspaper report had quoted Narain criticising Thampu on the issue of gender sensitivity in the college. Narain had, however, said the report had “misquoted” her.

Narain had challenged the creation of the committee, on grounds that the report was inaccurate and that the committee would be “biased” since it was created at the behest of the principal.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Justice Sarin said  the inquiry committee had earlier issued notice to Narain to give “her version” of the story and Narain had done so. “It is only a fact- finding report that has to be put before the governing body,” Sarin said.