Dr Ranjana Harish, professor and head of the department of English of the Gujarat University (GU), whose candidature for GU's executive council was rejected by the scrutiny committee on Friday, has approached the governor to look in to the matter.
Dr Ranjana Harish, professor and head of the department of English of the Gujarat University (GU), whose candidature for GU's executive council was rejected by the scrutiny committee on Friday, has approached the governor to look in to the matter.
Earlier, reacting to an appeal filed by Dr Ranjana Harish in 2009, the Gujarat high court had ordered GU officials to conduct a re-election of its executive council, also known as syndicate, before December 2010.
After keeping the matter on hold for several months, the officials have decided to conduct the election on December 4, two days before the termination of the syndicate's term, i.e. December 6.
This judgment was considered a symbolic win for the professor, who was about to become a syndicate member for two days.
However, on December 3, under mysterious circumstances, she was denied that right. The GU scrutiny committee declared her candidature rejected on that day, due to technical reasons.
Citing foul play by GU officials, Harish has finally knocked on the governor's doors. "I wrote to the governor that my battle was not for the membership - I don't even get paid for it. I am fighting for my fundamental right, which has once again been denied by the university," said the professor, who is particularly angry at the methodology adopted by the VC with regards to the scrutiny of her form.
According to her, the actual date for the declaration of scrutiny results was October 29, but even after repeated communication with them, the scrutiny committee and the V-C declared the results of scrutiny on December 3.
The committee rejected her form saying that she has written 'professor' as her designation, whereas she is 'professor and Head' in the department.
Harish, though, denied having made a mistake and questioned the intentions of the committee and the V-C. She said, "I have written 'professor' because I am a professor first, and then a Head. Being the Head of the department is just an honorary post, for which we don't get paid separately."
She said that she sees this as a clear attempt to remove her, by hook or by crook. She also pointed out that prof HP Bhalodia was a member of that committee. He was the one who actually found this 'technical' mistake and approached the V-C. The final decision was taken by V-C Trivedi.
Harish also put the V-C in the dock for not replying to her about the results for so many days. "I came to know of my rejection through other sources. I haven't received anything in written yet. Why is that?” demanded the professor in anger.
She said she wants the governor to look into all these aspects of the matter. "I wrote to the governor saying that if a professor does not get the desired information after so many reminders, imagine what would happen to common people!" exclaimed the professor.
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