The college has been confronting extreme reaction from students and additionally educators for making 75% participation required. In spite of this, JNU made attendance obligatory for instructors also. JNU students had likewise recorded a request of in the Delhi High Court against inconvenience of compulsory participation. The issue is sub-judice.
On November 13, Registrar Pramod Kumar made the move official through a circular. “All proposals/requests of faculty members, including leave requests, should be forwarded by the Deans and Chairpersons of the School/Centre/Special Centre concerned for consideration of competent authority, only after confirming that the faculty member concerned 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.
Professor Archana Prasad from the Centre for Informal Sector and Labour Studies is to attend a conference in South Africa from December 6-16. She sent a leave application on October 9.After two reminders, on November 9, she received an email from the Academic Branch, saying the “request may be considered only after the faculty member confirms that he/she is signing the attendance register and taking attendance of students in the courses he/she is teaching”.
Professor Ritu Priya Mehrotra from the Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health faced the same problem when she had to travel to Dhaka from November 15-19 for a world health convention. “I had applied at the end of October, but did not hear from them. Just a few days before my leave, I called up to find out the status of the application. I was told they would only process it if I submitted attendance sheets.I refused to sign and didn’t get my leave,” she was quoted as saying.
“The Executive Council has adopted mandatory attendance; teachers not marking attendance are being denied leaves.” said the JNU Registrar.
