JNU professors urge President Kovind to look into ‘irregularities’ in recruitment process

Eight professors of the Jawaharlal Nehru University have written to President Ram Nath Kovind alleging irregularities in appointment process at the School of Physical Sciences.

They urged Kovind, who is the university’s visitor, to intervene and keep all appointments in question in “abeyance”.

“We bring to your kind attention the gross violation of ethics and procedures that have occurred during the recent round of recruitments related to the School of Physical Sciences,” the letter said. For instance, a candidate selected for the position of professor does not have the required experience, they alleged. In another case, a person selected for the position of the associate professor was not shortlisted by the selection committee, the letter said. “We pray that the appointments mentioned be kept in abeyance until all aspects of the conduct and outcome of the selection process, including whether the best available candidates were selected and whether the external subject experts on the selection committee were qualified to meaningfully judge the quality of research in the relevant areas of specialisation, are scrutinised by a committee of leading physicists and astrophysicists,” it added.

Calls and text messages to JNU VC Jagadesh Kumar went unanswered.