Historian Romila Thapar told to submit CV for continuing as JNU professor emeritus

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, September 2

The JNU administration's move to ask historian Romila Thapar to submit her CV for assessment for her continuation as professor emeritus at the Delhi institution has not gone down well with many people.  

An expert in the history of early India, Thapar was a professor at the JNU between 1970 and 1991. In 1993, she was named professor emeritus. A recipient of the prestigious Kluge Prize of the US Library of Congress, Thapar has also authored numerous books.

Professor Thapar is a strong critic of policies of privatisation of education, erosion of autonomy of institutions and crushing of dissent by institutions, including the JNU." 

She was twice been offered the Padma Bhushan award, but declined it both times. She had turned it down saying that she accepted awards only from academic institutions not from state. 

Twitter users could not hold themselves from reacting with many leaders joining the outrage.  

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association called it "politically motivated".  

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor called the move “worse than an insult” and against “respect for intellectual merit”.

Noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan said “This govt has declared war on thought!”

“No No This cant be for real !!!!,” said actor Shabana Azmi.

Soon after JNUTA statement, the university said it is following its ordinance "in letter and in spirit" in the appointment of professor emeritus at tghe JNU.

"As per the ordinance, the university is required to write to all those who have attained the age of 75 to know their availability and their willingness to continue their association with the university. Letters have been written only to those emeritus professors who fall in this category," it said.

It explained that writing these letters is not for discontinuation but for an informed review by the executive council, the highest statutory body of the university, and it is consistent with the practices at other reputed universities such as MIT and Princeton University.

When contacted, Thapar confirmed receiving the letter in July and replying to it saying "it is a lifelong honour". She did not elaborate.

However, JNUTA called it a "deliberate attempt to try and dishonour those who have been critical of the current administration". It demanded a formal retraction of the move saying a personal apology be issued to Thapar. With agencies