JU sets up fact-finding panel over hijab row during English exam

Kolkata: Jadavpur University has constituted a fact-finding committee to inquire into allegations that two hijab-wearing students of the Department of English were subjected to objectionable conduct during a recent examination.

In a statement issued on Monday, acting registrar Selim Box Mandal said the committee had been asked to examine all aspects of the matter and submit its report within 30 days. The committee will be chaired by Syed Tanveer Nasreen of Burdwan University. Its members include Subarna Kumar Das of Jadavpur University’s Department of Library and Information Science, who is also the liaison officer of the SC & ST Cell, and Padmasree Kazi Masum Akhtar, the chancellor’s nominee to the Executive Council.

The issue came into public view during the university’s convocation on December 24, when students of the English department protested by handing written notes to the professor allegedly involved in the hijab-related incident and by displaying placards on the dais while degrees were being conferred. The protest followed allegations that during a fifth-semester examination of third-year students on December 22, two examinees were asked to remove their hijabs on suspicion of using unfair means. Students alleged that the head of the department asked one examinee to remove her hijab and, when she refused, took her to a departmental room where she was allegedly compelled to do so. Similar conduct was alleged in the case of another student in a different examination hall. The students said no incriminating material was found in either case.

The Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) submitted a complaint to the vice-chancellor by email, alleging violation of constitutional rights and seeking an impartial inquiry while ensuring the dignity and privacy of the students.

The organisation also referred to the state government’s stated opposition to communal discrimination under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Vice-chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharya replied by email, assuring that the matter would be looked into. The university subsequently announced the formation of the fact-finding committee.

Meanwhile, a team from the West Bengal Minorities Commission is expected to meet the vice-chancellor on December 30 to discuss the issue.