New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association on Sunday called "politically motivated" the JNU administration's decision to ask historian Romila Thapar to submit her CV for assessment for her continuation as professor emerita.
Soon after JNUTA statement, the university said it is following its ordinance "in letter and spirit" in the appointment of professor emeritus at JNU.
"As per the ordinance, the university is required to write to all those who have attained the age of 75 years to know their availability and their willingness to continue their association with the university. Letters have been written only to those emeritus professors who fall in this category," it said.
It explained writing these letters is not for discontinuation but for an informed review by the executive council, the highest statutory body of the university, and it is consistent with the practices at other reputed universities such as MIT and Princeton University.
When contacted, Thapar confirmed receiving the letter in July and replying to it saying "it is a lifelong honour". She did not elaborate.
However, JNUTA called it a "deliberate attempt to try and dishonour those who have been critical of the current administration". It demanded a formal retraction of the move and said a personal apology be issued to Thapar.
The association "expressed its outrage" at the efforts by the administration to "denigrate" the teaching and learning traditions of JNU via its "tasteless communications" to Thapar. It accused the association of having an "agenda" to allegedly destroy the legacies and the promise of the university.