Kolkata, Feb 28 (PTI) An association of varsity professors in West Bengal on Saturday demanded cancellation of the Jadavpur University notification for elections to representative panels in the institute, alleging that the process has been initiated under “defunct and legally untenable” statutes.
The JU unit of the All Bengal University Teachers’ Association (ABUTA) said that the elections, which have been announced under the Jadavpur University Election Statutes, 1982, are “inconsistent” with amendments made to the parent Jadavpur University Act, 1981.
There was no immediate response from the university authorities about the issue.
Explaining the issue, ABUTA state committee member Goutam Maity said the state government had amended the university law over a decade ago, changing the structure and composition of the highest decision-making bodies such as the court, the executive council and the faculty councils.
However, the corresponding election rules were never formally updated to reflect those changes, he said.
According to the association, once a parent law is amended, the old rules that contradict the new provisions are “not legally tenable”.
“Holding elections under outdated statutes that do not match the amended Act makes the entire process arbitrary and legally questionable,” the left-wing teachers’ organisation said.
The ABUTA argued that even under the 1982 statutes, elections were meant to be conducted in two stages — first to constitute the court and faculty councils with elected, nominated and ex officio members, and then to elect members of the executive council from among those bodies.
It is alleged that the current notification “bypasses this structured sequence and restricts the process, primarily to teachers’ constituencies for representation in the court and executive council”.
The ABUTA also pointed out that the 2012 amendment introduced new academic structures, including a faculty council for interdisciplinary studies, law and management, which finds no mention in the 1982 statutes.
This, it said, makes the old election rules “incompatible” with the present institutional framework.
Describing the move as “ultra vires”, the ABUTA warned that any authority constituted through such elections could face legal challenges and institutional instability.
The teachers’ body urged the university to first finalise and approve revised statutes in line with the amended Act and then conduct fresh elections in a transparent and legally sound manner. PTI SUS BDC
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.