Staff Reporter
RONO HILLS, 19 May: Members of the Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) Teachers’ Association (RGUTA), the RGU Employees’ Association (RGUEA), and the RGU Indigenous Employees’ Forum staged a dharna in the university’s premises here on Friday to press their demands – the major one among them being the vice chancellor’s (VC) extending his own tenure – and said that the dharna will continue till 23 May if their demands are not met.
In the absence of the VC, this reporter tried to approach the registrar, but was informed that he was busy in a meeting.
At least 100 staffers and professors of the university participated in the dharna, holding placards with ‘RGU needs VC, not dictator’, ‘Immediate withdrawal of EC resolution 50:12’, and similar slogans written on them.
RGUTA president Sarah Hilaly said that “nothing is taken seriously by the vice chancellor, despite his 19 May assurance to conduct the Executive Council (EC) meet.”
“We have only one demand – no discussion, no deliberation, but simply unilateral withdrawal of the item which talks about revoking the statutes,” she said, and added that “all the stakeholders should be taken into account.”
It is learnt that VC Saket Kushwaha extended the age bar of the VC from 65 years to 70 years during the university’s 20th EC meeting.
It is learnt also that the VC is scheduled to retire in October this year. “However, he enhanced the superannuation of the VC to 75 years without consulting the stakeholders,” said an employee.
Point 7 of a memorandum submitted to the VC on 2 May sought nomination of two members of the current EC as members of the search committee for the appointment of a new VC. As per Section 2, Clause 2 of the university’s statutes, the two members of the search committee cannot be part of the EC.
“If anybody has been unilaterally chosen by the VC, it would be against the statute and ordinance of the university,” the protestors said.
The RGUTA has submitted eight demands, the major one among them being withdrawal of Item Number 50:03.
A RGUTA member informed this reporter that “it took 40 years to make the RGU Act, and within no time the Act has been changed.” He added that “the procedural lapse, made with malicious intention, has hurt the sentiments of the RGU community.”
Another eight-point charter of demands has been submitted to the registrar by the RGUEA, they said.