New Delhi: A recent circular issued by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) strictly enforcing office timings, regulating lunch breaks and restricting staff movement outside campus during office hours has triggered concern among sections of the faculty and employees, who allege growing administrative control and surveillance within the institution.The office order, issued on May 8 by the Security Section of the NCERT Headquarter in Delhi, mandates that no employee will leave campus during working hours without prior permission from authorities. It also directs security personnel posted at gates to prevent unauthorised exits, maintain movement records and immediately report violations, if any.The circular further states that employees reporting for work after 9:15 AM may face compulsory leave deductions and, in the absence of any leave balance, proportional salary cuts. Repeated violations could attract disciplinary proceedings under Central Civil Services Conduct Rules 1964.While the order has been issued from the NCERT headquarters in New Delhi, The Wire has learnt that it has also been circulated to the institution’s regional constituent units in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru, Shillong and Nellore.The May 8 circular.Faculty members who spoke to The Wire on the condition of anonymity alleged that the circular reflects a broader pattern of increasing surveillance and administrative restrictions within the institution.“We are receiving such letters from time to time, but this is perhaps among the strongest in terms of language and control,” a faculty member said. “The administration increasingly speaks in terms of ‘security architecture’, ‘movement monitoring’ and ‘administrative control’. These are not terms one ordinarily associates with an academic institution.”The faculty member alleged that restrictions and monitoring have gone beyond office attendance and movement regulation. He described it as a growing “culture of intimidation” among sections of staff and faculties.The Wire approached several faculty members and employees who said they were hesitant to speak publicly, fearing administrative repercussions, ‘transfers’ or disciplinary proceedings.“There is a fear that even if incidents are mentioned anonymously, identities may become obvious internally because the institution is tightly controlled,” the faculty member said.What the circular saidThe circular states that NCERT authorities had observed with “grave concern” that officers and staff, including those employed on contractual and outsourced arrangements, were “repeatedly violating the prescribed norms relating to office timings, lunch break, and movement outside the Council premises”.It further says that surveillance and monitoring by the Security Section had revealed instances of “unauthorised exit of staff through Gate Nos. 1, 2 and 3 without prior approval”.Describing these actions as a threat to institutional functioning, the circular states that such acts “constitute a serious breach of office discipline, undermine administrative control, and pose a potential risk to the security architecture and access control mechanisms of the Council”.Under the section titled “Restriction on Movement Outside Campus”, the circular says: “No Officer/Official shall leave the Council premises during office hours without obtaining prior written/recorded permission from the Competent Authority/HoD’s/Incharge of the Sections/Cells/Section Officers.”The order also empowers security personnel to stop employees from leaving campus without authorisation and directs them “to maintain proper records of movement wherever required” and “to report violations of any incidence immediately to higher authorities”.Also read: Academic Freedom in South Asia Requires a Regional Canvas. Here’s WhyThe circular states that in case an employee arrives after 9:15 AM, “Casual Leave (CL) shall be compulsorily deducted” and if leave is unavailable, “proportionate salary deduction shall be enforced as per applicable rules”.The circular also provides for graded disciplinary action against violators, including formal warning, written warning with entry in official records, and issuance of a show cause notice. Repeated violations, it says, could invite proceedings under CCS Conduct Rules and penalties depending on the gravity of misconduct.The order concludes by stating that non-compliance would be treated as “Serious Misconduct” inviting “strict disciplinary and administrative action without further notice”.Faculty members questioned whether such securitised administrative measures are compatible with the functioning of an educational and research institution.“This is not merely about attendance or punctuality anymore,” the faculty member said.He noted, “The larger concern is whether academic spaces are increasingly being governed through mechanisms of surveillance and control rather than academic freedom and collegial functioning.”The order has been digitally signed by Prabhat Kumar Mishra, identified in the document as NCERT’s Chief Vigilance Officer.‘The circular is Victorian’Speaking to The Wire on the condition of anonymity, an NCERT faculty member described the circular as “Victorian”, comparing its tone and approach to that of the colonial era.“This circular is Victorian. Just look at its tone. Its only purpose is to create fear among the people working here,” the faculty member said. He further said, “The environment of this place has never been as hostile as it is today. If the NCERT director comes somewhere, people start running away.”The faculty member argued that the circular would negatively affect the functioning of academic staff rather than improve institutional discipline and efficiency.“We are not corporate employees or factory workers. We are academicians. We need a free mind to work,” the faculty member said. He added, “We cannot function properly if we are confined to our cabins all the time. This will only affect our efficiency and create fear among us.”Questioning the administration’s emphasis on punctuality and movement monitoring, the faculty member said many teachers routinely work beyond official hours without recognition.“Almost every faculty member works beyond office hours. Many people work till late evening and many take work home. If someone does not reach the office by 9:15 AM, they are being punished. But what about all the extra hours we work?” he asked.Also read: Forced Resignations, Suspensions, Threats, Imprisonment: India’s Shrinking Academic FreedomThe faculty member also alleged that the atmosphere within the institution had become increasingly restrictive in recent years.“Earlier, people used to write articles and opinion pieces for different publications. But since the appointment of the new director, Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani, faculties are not allowed to write,” the faculty member alleged.He added, “Even attending conferences now requires approvals through multiple authorities. These kinds of restrictions only suffocate people.”The faculty member further claimed that transfers and what they described as “forced voluntary retirements” were increasingly being used to silence dissenting voices within the institution.The Wire spoke to a few other faculty members as well, but they declined to be quoted, even anonymously, citing fear of administrative repercussions.The Wire reached out to NCERT Chief Vigilance Officer Prabhat Kumar Mishra and Director Professor Dinesh Prasad Saklani for their response. This article will be updated when a response is received.