In a novel step to curb absenteeism in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the administration is planning to deny leave to those teachers who are either not marking their own attendance or failing to submit attendance records of their students, reported Indian Express.
The JNU administration despite facing severe backlash is planning to bring in new changes to make marking attendance compulsory for the teachers. JNU registrar Pramod Kumar, on 13 November, has issued a circular to make the new notification official.
The new circular states that leave requests of faculty members should be forwarded by Deans and Chairpersons of the department only after confirming that the concerned faculty member has “adhered to the attendance rules of the university and has been marking his/her attendance.”
“While forwarding request/ paper/proposal of faculties, it has to be ensured by the Deans of Schools/ Chairperson of Centres/Special Centres that the faculty concerned has been taking attendance of students as well. As desired by the competent authority, no request/paper/proposal of faculty will be entertained/considered if he/she has not adhered to the above decisions of statutory bodies,” it said.
However, the JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) has called it an “arbitrary decision” and said the circular was not drawn from any provision of the JNU Act, statutes and ordinances and was “without any lawful substance”. Registrar Kumar has reiterated his circular and said, “The Executive Council has adopted mandatory attendance; teachers not marking attendance are being denied leaves.”
The JNU administration. earlier, had also planned to bring JNU administration, teachers of the university under the Conduct of Central Services Rules, to restrict them for making irresponsible public statements against the university administration.
The JNU administration had also made 75 per cent attendance compulsory for its students and had to face a backlash from students and teachers of the university. JNU students have filed a petition in the Delhi High Court against the imposition of mandatory attendance and the matter is currently sub-judice.