The vice-chancellor of National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), P Ishwara Bhat, resigned on Wednesday following vehement protests of law students demanding his resignation.
The protest erupted earlier in the day in the backdrop of statutory review commission report of NUJS, which contained scathing criticism of this premier institute’s “decline” under Professor Bhat’s administration over a span of seven years.
Charges against Bhat range from financial irregularity and failure to build on the existing infrastructure and retain best faculties to judging a student by her/his caste, all of which students feel have resulted in the deterioration of this “once prestigious institute”.
The Student Juridical Association (SJA) had called for a “passive” protest which they said won’t jeopardise their academic career or the right to work of any faculty members, while students also started a Facebookpage including “memes” and videos of their protest.
Even as several charges of irregularities surfaced against him, the students had given him an ultimatum to resign by this morning. The protest gained momentum when Bhat didn’t clarify his stand and stayed away from the university.
Students began their agitation blocking the entrance of the institution. They hung posters~ Ishwara Bhat Jaldi Hat( Ishwara Bhat move fast) ~ across the university gate and shouted slogans ~ “Shame on the VC” and “Band karo ye saajedari ab toh le lo zimmedari (stop colluding and take responsibility now at least)”.
Though faculty members didn’t take part in the protest, they supported the students’ demand for implementation of the review commission’s recommendations.
However, the mode of protest was somewhat different from usual gherao held in other colleges. Agitating students even played music in the background to keep the protest vibrant and distributed food and water among the protestors, faculties and other staff members present to beat the scorching sun.
“For a span of seven years under his regime, the university has only gone downhill. This was once a top ranking university. But very little has been done to maintain that status,” an agitating student on condition of anonymity said.
“Our protest also stems from the fact that Prof. Bhat for a V-C is very narrow-minded. He judges students on the basis of gender and caste. If a list of students’ representatives is sent to him, he would see how many are Brahmins. How can he be retained in the post of V-C without causing harm to the university?” a student asked.
“The commissions’ report suggests that the campus should be all inclusive, especially has to retain gender balance. However, very few female candidates choose this institution now.
The condition of the girls’ hostel is miserable and this may be one of the reasons,” a professor of the university highlighted. Additionally, faculty and students said that several posts in the university are vacant or being managed by interim officials.
“The review commission’s report mentioned that there should be around 80 professors but at present we do not even have half that number and the management has not taken any measures to remedy that,” another professor said. A team of six members visited the V-C in his residence.
A few hours later he tendered resignation. In his resignation letter, Prof. Bhat cited “health and family reasons” for his resignation, which will take effect from 7 April after the EC meeting. The students called off their agitation later in the evening and attended classes as well.