Aligarh Muslim University Teachers Association (AMUTA) on Tuesday gave a call for a one-day dharna (protest) demanding panel formation for appointing a regular Vice-Chancellor. The AMUTA said if the demand for initiating the process of selecting a regular V-C is not taken seriously, they may go on indefinite strike. “AMUTA calls for a one-day dharna at the Teaching Staff Club on September 6, Wednesday, to demand panel formation of a regular Vice-Chancellor. Visit in large numbers at the dharna site to express solidarity to the cause,” reads a letter issued by the AMUTA.
“Without a regular Vice-Chancellor, the University’s functioning is getting adversely affected. An acting V-C cannot make many decisions such as long-term policy decisions. We are forced to start the strike, and if our demand for initiating the process of appointing a regular V-C is not taken seriously, we may go on indefinite strike,” said Obaid Ahmed Siddiqui, secretary, AMUTA to The Hindu.
Nine members of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Court, the supreme governing body of the university, also wrote a letter to the Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mohammad Gulrez, asking him to take immediate steps to appoint a regular Vice-Chancellor without unnecessary delay. “Since the last five months the acting V-C has been giving evasive and vague replies over the issue, and failing to perform his primary duty of facilitating the selection of a regular V-C,” said Hafiz Ilyas Khan, Member (donor’s category), AMU Court.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mohammad Gulrez has been working as the acting V-C since Tariq Mansoor resigned from the post of AMU V-C in April, following his nomination as an Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council member.
