By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: After receiving flak from students over the arbitrary manner in which Jamia Millia Islamia cancelled the PhD registration of one of its residents, the University administration has accused the student of violating the statutory norms of the University at the time of admission.
In a statement released by the University, the administration also said that wrong and malicious information is being circulated at various fora including social media regarding the cancellation of PhD admission of Dhrupadi Ghosh from the Department of Sociology.
The university has said that the decision was taken in order to streamline the PhD admissions in general by Dean Office to scrutinise admissions in various departments, while Ghosh has termed it as a half-baked and opaque response.
“The admission of the candidate has been found to be in violation of the statutory norms of the University. The matter has been referred to a competent authority for assessment. A three-member committee including an outside expert was appointed by the Vice Chancellor to review the admission and the issue of eligibility,” the statement reads.
“The committee examined the case and found that the candidate doesn’t fulfil the basic eligibility criteria required for PhD admission in Department of Sociology,” it further says.
Meanwhile, Ghosh has termed Jamia statement as vague, opaque and strangely self-congratulatory.
“It sheds absolutely no light on why a research scholar, who was admitted only after due process; whose work has been approved by the Board of Studies, the highest academician body in the university; whose PhD supervisor is completely satisfied with her academic process, can be just thrown out of the program after two years,” said Ghosh.
Ghosh further asked that why was she called for an interview two years back if she does not fulfil the eligibility criteria?
“Why was no reason cited for my dismissal? Why was I not given the opportunity to defend my work as dictated not only by the rule book but the principles of natural justice and common human decency? ” she asked.
Importantly she was offered a PhD programme in two departments, Sociology and Social Exclusion and she chose Sociology.
“The entire student community, particularly the research scholars are in a state of shock and insecurity over this arbitrary cancellation after two full years. We urge the university to share all relevant information with the victimised scholar, admit its mistake and revoke the unjust PhD deregistration order,” said Talha Rehman, another PhD student.
The Jamia administration had initially issued a notice and cancelled the PhD registration of Dhrupadi Ghosh without giving any reasons and explanation.
The order issued by Dean Prof N.U. Khan has given reference to a letter order issued by the registrar on September 7 earlier this month, whose contents have been kept confidential.
Ghosh, a PhD scholar in the Department of Sociology, received a letter on Friday morning notifying that her registration has been cancelled with effect from September 7, 2017. The letter cites no reason for cancellation neither has the PhD scholar received any prior notification in this regard.
Ghosh is also a student activist and has been vocal about issues related to payment of dues to workers, implementing labour laws in the university, attack on female students by male university guards and police entering the campus without permission.