Premium

Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests

This comes two years after it suspended him over his alleged role in supporting students during the protests in 2022-2023

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Sep 15, 2025 08:43 PM IST

Associate Professor Snehashish Bhattacharya. File Photo

The South Asian University (SAU) has terminated the services of Associate Professor Snehashish Bhattacharya, two years after he was suspended for “inciting students” during the 2022-23 stipend protests,

The Indian Express has learnt.

Bhattacharya was among four faculty members suspended by the SAU in 2023 for “inciting students against… the interest of the university”. As per documents, two of the faculty members wrote a “submission of regret” to the administration in March 2024, following which the SAU revoked their suspension. The two faculty members did not comment or confirm.

When contacted by The Indian Express, Swati Arjun, Deputy Director ( Media & PR) at SAU said, “The decision of the termination of Dr Snehashish Bhattacharya has been taken in accordance with Regulation 38.5 of the South Asian University after the report of the Disciplinary Committee.”

Bhattacharya did not comment.

Bhattacharya was suspended on June 16, 2023, months after student protests broke out on the SAU campus in 2022 after the university administration slashed stipends for Master’s students from Rs 5,000 to Rs 3,000. The students demanded the stipend be raised to Rs 7,000 instead.

Although the administration later restored the amount to Rs 5,000, the protests continued. In October 2022, police were called to the Chanakyapuri campus to disperse students gathered outside the Acting President’s office.

The next day, 13 faculty members — including Bhattacharya — wrote to the administration, warning that summoning police would damage the university’s “international character.” The university, in the interim, expelled several students for their involvement in the protests.

On November 5, at least 15 faculty members wrote another letter, expressing concern over the actions of the university administration, which they said “were taken without following any due process”.

Story continues below this ad

A disciplinary committee, which was constituted in November 2023, laid out 52 charges against Bhattacharya in its report. Many were derived from faculty emails he co-signed in October and November 2022.

He was accused of allegedly making “wild and unsubstantiated allegations” when he described the administration’s decision to call the police as “most unfortunate” and the result of “contingent impulses”. He was charged with “inciting students” by writing that the administration had summoned the police.

“Sending mass emails to the entire teaching, non-teaching and student community is clear evidence of incitement. The charge, therefore, stands proved,” the committee said in its report. It also found his actions as “a case of concealment of facts”.

The disciplinary committee report also faulted Bhattacharya for describing the expulsions as “arbitrary,” and for warning that such actions could have “negative repercussions for the future of the university”.

Story continues below this ad

On August 18 this year, the varsity issued a show cause notice to Bhattacharya, which stated, “In view of the Disciplinary Committee constituted… to inquire into the charges against you, you are hereby asked to show cause in writing within a fortnight from the receipt of this notice as to why your services at SAU will not be terminated with immediate effect.”

Bhattacharya, it is learnt, replied within a fortnight, but the administration found it “has no substance and (is) unsatisfactory” and terminated his services with effect from June 16, 2023, his date of suspension.

As per the documents, Bhattacharya denied all the charges, telling the committee he had “not acted against the University” but only exercised his right to raise concerns as faculty.

Bhattacharya insisted his remarks — against the expulsion and suspension of students to calling police to the campus — were expressions of fact, pointing to procedural lapses in disciplinary orders and arguing that raising such concerns was “a responsible function of any employee”.

Story continues below this ad

Bhattacharya holds a PhD in Economics (2010) and a Master’s degree in Economics (2003) from the University of Notre Dame, USA, along with an MSc in Economics from the University of Calcutta (2000). He joined SAU in 2011 and taught the first batch of Economics students.

SAU, established by the eight member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), was envisioned as a regional hub for higher education and cooperation.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
South Asian University

Loading Recommendations...

Apr 14: Latest News

Live Blog