'Biased Probe, Unfair Penalty': Ambedkar University Faces Flak for Firing Profs

Why have the two professors been terminated and why teachers across Delhi are vehemently criticising AUD’s decision:

Then on what grounds have the two professors been terminated and why teachers’ organisations across the city are vehemently criticising AUD’s decision, The Quint finds out:

(Image: The Quint/@Kamran Akhter)

“The decision to terminate two eminent professors is a witch hunt...bohot he ahmaqana tareeqe se kiya gaya hai (it was taken in a senseless way),” Dr Gopalji Pradhan lamented.  

Pradhan is the Vice President of the Faculty Association at Dr B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD), which recently terminated two of his colleagues—Prof Salil Misra and Prof Asmita Kabra— on charges of “major misconduct” for implementing a policy in 2018.  

The policy had aimed to regularise 38 non-teaching staff, who were employed on contract, but contributed to building the university from the days of its inception. 

“It was a one-time policy, which was passed only after it was ratified by the Board of Management (BOM), the highest statutory body at AUD, which also includes Delhi government nominees. Kabra and Misra only fulfilled their duty as administrators to implement the policy,” Pradhan explained to The Quint. 

AUD’s decision has drawn the ire of teachers and students across universities in Delhi, who held a solidarity meeting in the capital city and demanded that professors Misra and Kabra be reinstated.

Prof Atul Sood from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) said that AUD’s decision marks the “failure of governance” at the university level.  

“When the two professors have not been charged of any unethical act or financial wrongdoing; when there are no charges against them, how can the BOM get away with terminating their employment?” Sood asked. 

Then on what grounds have the two professors been terminated and why teachers’ organisations across the city are vehemently criticising AUD’s decision, The Quint finds out: 

What is the Policy in Contention?

According to a detailed statement released by AUD Faculty Association (AUDFA), the One Time Absorption Policy was framed to acknowledge the contribution of the 38 non-teaching staff (which includes the clerical staff, administrative officers who were in charge of admissions, attendance, etc., and the IT staff) and had was based on legal advice.  

It was passed in July 2018 only after the approval of AUD’s Board of Management, which is the principal executive body of the University and comprises: 

Composition of the Board of Management (BOM) at Ambedkar University Delhi

AUD was established in 2007 through the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi Act, 2007 and began functioning in 2008. The university is fully funded by the Delhi government, with Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena as its Chancellor.  

“The salaries of the 38 non-teaching staff concerned were approved by the Directorate of Higher Education under the Delhi government,” Pradhan claimed. The AUDFA statement also mentions that the Directorate of Higher Education was apprised of the “full facts of the absorption process” before final letters were issued to the contractual staff. 

However, in February 2021, the BOM under the new VC overturned the 2018 absorption policy.  

‘Committee After Committee until Desired Result’

Six months later, the BOM appointed a one-member committee, headed by Dr GS Patnaik, to examine the propriety of the policy.

Though the committee agreed with overturning the policy, it exonerated the administrative officers saying, “...there was no scope of initiating any disciplinary action/proceeding against the officials responsible for the decision making,” as per AUDFA. 

But again, in December 2022, then BOM rejected the Patnaik Committee report and authorised the Vice Chancellor to set up another committee to probe the matter. In June 2023, A K Malhotra was appointed by AUD as an Inquiry Officer to examine the charges. He submitted the report in February 2024, and it was placed before the current BOM on 5 October 2024 and 5 November 2024.  

According to AUDFA, the Inquiry Officer classified the actions of Kabra and Misra as “major misconduct,” but it did not establish “the requisite mala fide intent.” 

On 6 November, both the professors were informed of their immediate termination from AUD after being found guilty of conduct unbecoming of a public servant, under Rule 3(1) (iii) (viii) (ix) (xviii) and (xxi) of the CCS (Conduct) Rules.  

“It is apparent that the BOM kept appointing committees after committees till they achieved the desired result; this is why we are labelling this decision as a vendetta against academicians,” Pradhan said. 

Meanwhile, Sood claimed that the BOM is "collectively responsible" if there is any change in policy. "Where is command responsibility? Misra and Kabra have been made scapegoats for a collective failure, if any," he remarked.

‘Biased Inquiry, Disproportionate Punishment’ 

Receiving solidarity from teaching fraternity across Delhi’s universities, the AUDFA claimed that the decision to terminate “responsible office bearers for implementing a duly approved university policy,” which was substantively equitable and fair, “reeks of bias.” 

Misra was Pro VC while Kabra was the Acting Registrar at the time of the implementation of the One Time Absorption Policy in 2018.

“The decision to terminate the two professors was taken by the BOM in the absence of Government nominees, i.e. when the BOM was truncated. When I asked why the minutes of this meeting weren’t uploaded, I was told the quorum wasn’t complete,” Pradhan alleged to The Quint.  

Besides, CCS (Conduct) Rules are for ethical functioning of Central government officials and do not apply to state university teachers, Pradhan pointed out.  

He added that while there were eight months remaining until Misra’s retirement, Kabra had already submitted her resignation, which was not accepted because the vigilance committee report was ongoing.  

While the AUDFA labelled the professors’ removal from service with the loss of all benefits as “grossly disproportionate,” Sood said such a "draconian decision" is unlikely to stand the scrutiny of law and is only aimed at keeping the faculty “engaged in legal battles; where the process becomes the punishment."

"All of this is being done at a great personal cost to the individuals and leads to loss of teaching and learning at large," he added.

‘AUD Not Conducive to Academic Freedom:’ Students

Students too showcased their solidarity with the two professors and demanded the university to revoke their termination.  

“Prof Misra and Prof Kabra have been made into scapegoats because they have a progressive point of view. AUD’s autocratic functioning is affecting our studies, where teachers and students can’t freely discuss issues such as communalism or religion or war, which form a part of our curriculum,” said Saiyed, a third-year student of Social Sciences and member of All India Students Association (AISA). 

One of Misra's students, who was enrolled in the 'Communalism and Partition in South Asia' elective said that nearly half of the course and corresponding evaluation is pending yet there has been no communication from AUD authorities to students on the way forward even as final exams are expected in the first week of December.

Mantasha, a second-year student of Masters (Global Studies), described Misra as "warm, kind, understanding and very approachable."

"Even though I am enrolled in AUD's Karampura Branch, I used to travel to Kashmiri Gate for attending Prof Misra's elective. His class is always full. There are many students who joined AUD to pursue their PhD under his guidance," she told The Quint.

Saiyed complained that the environment at AUD is not conducive to academic freedom and that the reputation of the varsity is “falling brick by brick.” He cited the difficulty in organising talks and inviting speakers as a case in point.  

“Prof Salil’s only mistake was that he allowed room for such talks and discussions and would also partake in them,” Saiyed claimed.  

At Least 32 Distinguished Teachers Have Quit the University

Pradhan said that arbitrary decisions such as these point to a larger problem— “There is no freedom to work. At least 32 distinguished professors have resigned in the last five years,” he claimed.  

Kabra is a renowned ecologist and researcher who writes on issues such as rehabilitation, rural development, and conservation-livelihood linkages. She is associated with Ecology Economy and Society - the INSEE Journal.  

Misra is one of the top historians of modern India, who has written many books and articles on communal politics, Hindi and Urdu languages, partition of India and identity politics. He is associated with the Indian History Congress, which took strong exception to the professors' termination and sought AUD to reinstate them.

“Profiles of both Prof Mishra and Prof Kabra were removed from AUD’s website the same day. If this is not vendetta, what is?” Pradhan claimed.   

When asked what happens to the employment of the 38 contractual staff, Pradhan said the case is sub-judice in the Delhi High Court.  

The Quint has sent a detailed questionnaire to the Dr BR Ambedkar University Delhi; Secretary, Higher Education and the Directorate of Higher Education under the Delhi Government, and will update the story once they respond.