Compulsory attendance move taken to malign JNU: Teachers’ body

New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) The teachers' body at JNU on Thursday slammed the administration's "compulsory attendance" decision as a "malicious" act to create a problem "where none exists", maintaining that it was taken despite objections of several teachers.

In a circular dated December 21, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration informed the students of attendance being made compulsory from the upcoming winter session.

The circular said that the decision was taken as per a resolution passed in the 144th Academic Council (AC) meeting held on December 1.

However, the JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) said no decision was taken on the said matter and when the proposal was put through the Council, it was "met with dissent".

"The overwhelming opinion among teachers of the University is that the diktat for compulsory attendance seeks to manufacture a problem where none exists," the JNUTA said in a letter to the 'Compulsory Attendance Committee', formed after the AC meeting to elicit recommendations on the issue and take decision.

"The JNUTA also looks to your Committee to bury the malicious motivation behind this unilateral announcement of compulsory attendance -- namely, that there exists a problem that has to be addressed. There is none. We believe the motive is what has become routine since February 2016 -- the defamation of JNU and its student and teacher communities," it read.

The students have also opposed the move unanimously and the JNU Students' Union has called an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the issue.

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