Protests broke out at Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) on November 11, as students and faculty condemned the recent dismissal of two senior professors, Prof Salil Misra and Prof Asmita Kabra, by the university’s Board of Management (BOM).
The professors, respected figures at AUD and former Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Registrar respectively, were removed from their positions over alleged "irregularities" related to the regularization of 38 contractual workers between 2018 and 2019. Their terminations followed an inquiry led by a committee appointed by the BOM, which attributed misconduct to the professors in handling the staff appointments.
Student organizations, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Students’ Association (AISA), alongside the AUD Faculty Association (AUDFA), strongly criticized the BOM’s decision, labeling it as a targeted action against outspoken academics. In a statement, AISA alleged that AUD’s administration has a pattern of punitive actions against individuals with progressive views, and that this incident highlights a broader trend of stifling dissent within the university.
According to AUDFA, the decision to regularize the contractual workers was initially approved by the BOM, with Profs Misra and Kabra acting within their official roles and based on legal advice. AUDFA contends that following the appointment of Prof Anu Singh Lather as Vice-Chancellor in 2019, the BOM reversed its position on the regularizations, leading to a new round of inquiries that ultimately disregarded earlier findings. The faculty association claims that these terminations, announced on November 9, were a “vindictive” act lacking in fairness.
Addressing the protest gathering, AUDFA described the terminations as an “attack on the dignity of teachers” and demanded the immediate reinstatement of both professors. The association also announced a “non-cooperation” movement with the university administration, starting November 12, and criticized the Delhi Government for not intervening in what they described as the “dismantling” of AUD’s progressive academic environment.