Fresh strife between IIT Kharagpur administration and teachers’ body

This development acquires significance in light of 85 professors being issued show-cause notices by the Institute administration recently

A fresh strife has broken out between administration and faculty members of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) following an order by university authorities to relocate staff and infrastructure from an on-campus medical facility to a newly established hospital at nearby Balrampur, allegedly without consultation with teachers, staff, officers or students.

On Thursday, the IIT-KGP administration ordered the relocation of staff and infrastructure from Dr. B.C. Roy Technology Hospital (BCRTH) on campus to the new 400-bed Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Superspeciality Hospital (SPMSH) in Balarampur, on the outskirts of IIT-KGP campus, as per directions of the Union Ministry of Education. SPMSH, a part of IIT-KGP, was inaugurated in March 2022.

“Relocation work shall be completed within a time line as felt appropriate. Detail of relocation at micro level will be prepared & executed by the Medical Superintendent, SPMSH / Head, BCRTH in consultation with Project Director, SPMSH,” the order further read.

However, the IIT Kharagpur Teachers’ Association (IITTA) has alleged that none of the recognised bodies representing teachers, staff, officers or students have been consulted prior to the order, despite the existence of a ‘Hospital Management Committee’ meant to represent all stakeholders. 

“As this is going to be a highly disruptive move, it needs a thorough discussion and, may be, it would be prudent to take advice from a larger cross-section of campus community and the students as well as the retired pensioners living outside the periphery of the campus,” the IIT-KGP teachers’ body wrote in a letter to the Chairperson of the Board of Governors of IIT-KGP today.

In the letter, IITTA also raised questions as to why the shifting has been scheduled a week before the expiry of the tenure of the present Director. 

“In view of the fact that we are going to get a new incumbent Director from the 1st January, 2025, we wonder what is the big hurry to execute the proposed shifting on the 24th December, 2024, exactly a week before the expiry of the tenure of the present Director? Why cannot we all have a more thorough discussion with the next Director before such a big move is executed?” the teachers’ body asked in the letter. According to the order, the relocation is set to be completed by December 23.

They also requested the Chairperson to keep the proposed order in abeyance and allow the future incoming Director to do the needful in this regard.

An anonymous source at the IIT-KGP told The Hindu that the 400-bed hospital is not the primary healthcare facility on campus yet. “It is a misuse of resources given that the SPMSH is barely functional yet,” the source said, and highlighted that meanwhile, according to the order, only emergency primary care and the pharmacy will continue to remain functional at BCRTH. 

“IITTA objected to this move very strongly because this will be extremely inconvenient for students, faculties and all other campus community,” the source said.

This development acquires significance in light of 86 professors being issued show-cause notices and disciplinary action by the Institute administration on November 12, after the IITTA wrote to the Union Ministry of Education alleging unfair and arbitrary hiring practices in the Institute. 

The show cause notice issued by the Registrar of IIT Kharagpur read, “Failure to provide a satisfactory explanation or response within the stipulated time may lead to... disciplinary action.”

However, disciplinary cases against some of the faculty members were recently withdrawn after they issued apologies.

Published - December 13, 2024 11:59 pm IST