The faculty recruitment process in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has come under a cloud over alleged violations of minimum eligibility criteria in the shortlisting of candidates, continuing a trend of questionable selections for nearly a decade.
Two complaints have been lodged with vice-chancellor (VC) Prof Santishree D. Pandit regarding the screening of applicants for the post of associate professor in the Centre of West Asia Studies (CWAS), JNU. Nine candidates had applied for the post last month, and three were shortlisted for interviews by a selection committee comprising experts.
One shortlisted candidate allegedly does not fulfil the requirement of eight years' experience of teaching or research in a position equivalent to assistant professor. Rajendra Prasad of Sambhu Nath College, Birbhum, Bengal, claimed the candidate’s five years as a research analyst at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, fall short. Bidyut Bora of Jorhat College, Assam, also urged the VC to review the candidate’s experience.
In 2023, Priya Ranjan Kumar, who unsuccessfully appeared in the interview for an associate professor position with CWAS, filed complaints alleging manipulation in the selection process and has approached Delhi High Court.
During Prof Jagadesh Kumar’s tenure as VC, the JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) alleged interference in appointments and changes to eligibility criteria. A JNUTA member said Prof Pandit has further reduced transparency by displaying only the application numbers of shortlisted candidates online. An email has been sent to Prof Pandit for her response. Her comments are awaited.