Two associate professors of Delhi University’s Hindu College have been issued show-cause notices by the governing body, accusing them of gross misconduct, indiscipline and insubordination. This comes amid a standoff between the college administration and its staff association that has continued for more than a week.
Dr Ratan Lal and Dr P K Vijayan got the notices dated September 8 on Wednesday, according to teachers, and they’ve been asked to submit their explanations within seven working days or face disciplinary action.
The notices concern statements and communications issued by the professors during a dispute which began over admissions under the Sports and Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) quotas but has since widened to include broader concerns raised by the Hindu College Staff Association (HCSA) over the functioning of the college administration.
‘Criticised principal, dishonoured college’
Lal, an Associate Professor in the Department of History and president of the HCSA, was issued the notice over an August 18 statement and subsequent communications in which he criticised Principal Anju Srivastava and expressed “no confidence” in her.
The governing body cited his allegations that the principal had “tricked, misled and pressured” the college’s statutory bodies and that admissions had been completed through “gross violations of procedures, rule and possible corrupt practices”.
In the notice, the body said, “You have issued and circulated statements to external agencies, including the media, and persisted in making these allegations despite being made fully aware of the University’s explanation that the admissions were made on the basis of the lists issued by the University and errors, if any, were due to some glitch in the algorithm at the level of the University…”
It further accused Lal of “dishonouring the college by seeking to tarnish its institutional standing and image”. It also accused him of violating the “code of conduct prescribed under relevant service rules of Delhi University”.
Story continues below this ad
“You have continued to act in a manner highly prejudicial for the maintenance of internal discipline and order in the College. Your Act is unbecoming of a Teacher of the College,” it said.
Lal said the notice was delivered to him today and questioned whether the college governing body’s chairperson has the authority to issue it.
‘Offensive characterisations of faculty’
The notice to Vijayan, an Associate Professor in the Department of English, was over an email he sent to faculty members on August 21.
The governing body alleged that the email violated long-standing DU and UGC rules and codes, including provisions requiring teachers to maintain a “professional, dignified, and collegial demeanour” towards their peers, speak respectfully to other teachers and refrain from making unsubstantiated allegations against colleagues.
Story continues below this ad
It alleged that Vijayan had used “derogatory” and “offensive” characterisations of fellow faculty members and sought to “tarnish the institutional standing and image” of the college.
The governing body took up the matter at its meeting on September 7 and decided to seek explanations from the two professors on why disciplinary action should not be initiated against them.
The dispute
The HCSA’s dharna began on September 14 after the association passed a no-confidence resolution against Srivastava on August 18 over alleged procedural violations in Sports and ECA admissions.
The protest has since continued for more than a week, with students also joining the demonstration.
Story continues below this ad
The immediate dispute began after the first round of admissions for the 2026-27 academic session. The staff association had alleged that too many Sports and ECA quota seats were allocated to two popular courses, B.Com (Hons) and BA (Hons) Political Science.
According to the association, 17 of the 48 Sports and ECA seats were allocated to B.Com (Hons) and 15 to BA (Hons) Political Science. It said this breached the university rule limiting allocation under the supernumerary quotas to 20 per cent in a single undergraduate programme.
The university, however, attributed the excess allocation to an error in its admission algorithm. DU Registrar Vikas Gupta had told The Indian Express earlier that candidates had qualified on the basis of their ECA and Sports scores and that there was no violation of merit.
Principal Srivastava told The Indian Express on Wednesday, “Admissions in colleges are centralised. Decisions like eligibility of students, their choice of college and subject (based on their submitted preferences) are decided by the University. Colleges have no discretion in this.”
Story continues below this ad
She added, “Applications of university allocated candidates are processed by the Central Admission Committee, which are finally approved by the Principal (subsequent to which fee payment ensures securing of admission). Hence, (there is) no direct role of the Principal in the admissions process.”
The HCSA had subsequently raised other concerns relating to the functioning of the college’s statutory bodies and administrative decisions.
Prof Chandrachur Singh, Secretary of the Staff Council and a professor of Political Science at Hindu College, said the admissions issue was the trigger for the wider dispute. “There are many issues, and the ECA and sports admissions triggered it. When the staff association tried to meet the governing body, instead of listening to us, they threatened the office-bearers and a senior colleague with show-cause notices. They also said that they did not recognise the staff association,” Singh said.
