IIT Kharagpur authorities slapped 86 teachers of the premium institute with showcause notices for being “a signatory” to a mass representation.
It demanded no disciplinary proceedings against the four office bearers of the IIT Teachers’ Association.
In the showcause notice with seven-day deadline, issued by the registrar of the institute, it was said that those who signed the mass petition violated the conduct rules of the institute.
The four office bearers of the teachers’ body were showcaused after the association wrote a letter to the Union education ministry in September.
It was about alleged nepotism, arbitrary faculty recruitment and other lapses which the teachers said unfolded in the tenure of the present director VK Tewari.
The showcause notice served to 86 teachers on November 29 said according to statute of 15(17) Schedule B, Point 16(B), no employee shall be signatory to any joint representation addressed to the authorities for redress of any grievances or of any other matter.
The teachers have been told to respond to the showcause notice within seven days to explain “why action shall not be taken against them” for their act. The notice also mentioned that if the response is unsatisfactory, it will result in action.
The notice was emailed to each teacher separately.
The 86 teachers in their mass representation addressed to the registrar on November 28 said the faculty members demand that two showcause notices issued against the office bearers and the general secretary of the teachers’ association “be withdrawn immediately and the disciplinary proceeding is stopped with immediate effect”.
The next day, the signatory professors were sent the showcause notice.
A professor, who is a member of the teachers’ association, said they held an extraordinary general body meeting on November 28 in which it was decided that 86 teachers would send a mass representation to the registrar so that the showcause notice to four teachers was withdrawn and the disciplinary proceedings were not initiated.
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