A group of female teachers and the wives of male teachers protested at the director’s house on Sunday night, alleging irregularities in the most recent faculty recruiting procedure at Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT).
As the protest went on until late in the day, a few male institute teachers also stood nearby. The institute management requested the police, especially female officers, to the area to keep the peace because they were worried about a potential law and order situation.
Since Saturday, instructors have been protesting on the institute’s campus, claiming that correct procedures were not followed while hiring professors and associate professors. In spite of completing all requirements, their applications were turned down as a result. Applications for these seats had been made by a large number of institution faculty members.
The protesters also claimed that even though candidates met the requirements, some seats were left open under the category of “NFS” (None Found Suitable). They clamoured for access to the recommendations made by the professionals who made up the selection committee that conducted the interviews with them. They further claimed that during the hiring process, the reservation roster was ignored.
The teachers have been demonstrating since Saturday to make their demands known. The instructors held a meeting on Sunday at 11 a.m., and then they protested close to the administrative building. At the director’s mansion at 6 o’clock in the evening, a sizable group of affected female instructors and the wives of affected male teachers had assembled. They started a sit-in protest, first outside the main gate and then on the porch inside the house campus.
A police force, which included female officers, arrived at the area to maintain order as the demonstration gained speed. The demonstration was still going on as of the time this report was filed.
The protesting teachers also issued a warning that they would formally file a complaint with the Union ministry of education and potentially consider legal action if their demands were not met. On social media, a letter from the MNNIT Teachers Association in response to this issue has also gone around. However, Ambak Rai, the secretary of the association, stated that he was unaware of such a letter.
