New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) and Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) have released a joint statement demanding the removal of the varsity’s vice-chancellor, who, they have alleged, has been “violating the idea of JNU, its statutory framework, and has been indulged in the blatant abuse of power”.Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit is the current JNU V-C, the first woman to hold the position. However, there have been several allegations of irregularities in recruitment of teachers. The issue gained political attention after Congress MP Pawan Khera highlighted the allegations on social media, sharing an investigation published by The Reporters’ Collective.The JNUTA and JNUSU addressed a charter of demands in a press conference on August 13 to the Visitor (President of India), the Chancellor, the Ministry of Education, the University Grants Commission, and MPs raising these concerns and demanding Pandit’s resignation.The unions stated that the institutional framework of JNU, which is established under an Act of parliament, was being systematically dismantled through abuse of power.“As an officer of a public institution, the Vice Chancellor is ultimately accountable to the public. However, what we have been witnessing in JNU is a steady process of undermining of its Statutory framework, its statutory bodies and its process of consultation and deliberation, by an abuse of the powers vested in the office of the Vice-Chancellor to effectively turn this public institution into her personal fiefdom,” the statement read.The unions have alleged that a recruitment scam has been going on under Vice-Chancellor Pandit and the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), under its current Director, Prof P.R. Kumaraswamy. Citing the report by Reporters’ Collective, which based on RTI responses, official records and Executive Council dissent notes, the statement noted that at least seven faculty members were appointed in violation of UGC norms.“Candidates previously rejected by screening committees made up of subject-experts at the Centre/School level – including a former PhD student of the Vice-Chancellor – were added to final shortlists by the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) without informing and approval of the screening committee and finally recruited despite not having the UGC Regulations,” they said.“…it may be noted that this is only the tip of the iceberg and any thorough inquiry into the conduct of the JNU Administration would uncover many more instances of violations of rules… – the documentary evidence of which is there in the files of the University Administration but being kept under the wraps by the lack of transparency that marks its conduct,” they added.The unions have asserted that the “benefits” extracted through such control, which, they alleged has now also been extended to the allotment of faculty housing, should be put through a vigilance inquiry. “This recruitment scam has brought immense disrepute to JNU – a university which has been the target of the ideological and political dispensation which VC Prof Pandit proudly claims affiliation to, namely, RSS. This loss of reputation is larger than any particular Vice-Chancellor, Director or appointment,” they said.“The JNU VC has no regards for the rule based functioning of the University and has been wilfully violating them. She must be held accountable for all such willful violations,” they added, demanding her removal from the post.The JNUTA and JNUSU have also demanded an immediate independent visitorial or court-monitored inquiry.They have further demanded that the Visitor of JNU – President Droupadi Murmu – should exercise the powers under Section 8 of the JNU Act to constitute a genuinely independent, time-bound inquiry into the concerns relating to the V-C’s appointment, faculty recruitment, CAS promotions, functioning of IQAC, alteration of screening outcomes, conflicts of interest and the manner in which decisions were placed before and approved by the Executive Council, and that the V-C, IQAC director, and accused faculty must be divested of their responsibilities until the investigation is complete.