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Safoora Zargar, a researcher and activist who was detained in connection with the 2020 riots, has had her entrance to Jamia Millia Islamia revoked after making “unsatisfactory” progress on her thesis, according to a top university official. The Board of Studies (BoS), the department’s top decision-making body, gave its approval on the matter. The representative stated that the Dean’s office will send a notification regarding this in the upcoming days.
Zargar is enrolled in the combined MPhil/PhD programme with the Department of Sociology. She has, however, charged that the administration is biased and “holds” grudges. It has been claimed that Zargar and a few JNU student leaders were the “masterminds” behind the unrest in northeast Delhi in February 2020.
“Zargar has had numerous extensions over the years, and despite the university’s efforts to assist her, her performance has been subpar. Her supervisor and the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) suggested that her admittance be withdrawn, “Under the condition of anonymity, the official spoke to PTI. The Department Research Committee subsequently endorsed the RAC’s recommendation (DRC). “The Board of Studies has provided the final approval. In the upcoming days, we anticipate receiving notification in this regard “added the official.
Zargar tweeted on Wednesday that her request for an MPhil thesis submission extension had been postponed for more than eight months. She informed PTI over the phone that RAC had verbally informed her that she would not be getting an extension. “I’m concerned that my admittance may shortly be cancelled. There is no formal response to this blatant discrimination. I have rang every doorbell in sight, but to no avail “She spoke. Zargar said in a letter to Jamia Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar on Wednesday that the administration was harassing her excessively and making fun of her.
“While UGC has granted five consecutive Covid extensions I have been given only one. I was forced to apply for an extension under the women scholar category, only to be denied after months citing ‘unsatisfactory progress’….This is in clear violation of the guidelines laid down by UGC and points to the malafide intentions of the Supervisor and the department. I will be taking all remedial action available to me,” the letter read.
JMI Vs Zargar
According to a statement from the university released on Thursday night, Zargar did not finish her dissertation by the deadline for the Covid extension, which expired on February 6, and there is no provision for another Covid extension as per the UGC notification, contrary to what the scholar has been claiming. The student failed to apply for an extension as a woman scholar within the allotted period, that is, before her Covid extension expired on February 6, 2022, despite the advice from her RAC, according to the university. “And in accordance with JMI Ordinance 9 (IX) of 13.10.2017, which governs the scholar, the Vice Chancellor grants this extension on the advice of the RAC and the supervisor. The RAC looks at the scholar’s progress and considers all the circumstances of the scholar. The scholar’s progress has been very unsatisfactory, the application had been filed more than two months after the expiry of stipulated time and therefore extension cannot be given,” it added.
According to the institution, the supervisor encouraged the scholar to conduct fieldwork and occasionally finish her work. “But contrary to what the RAC predicted, the scholar made little progress with her work. Additionally, her prior report indicated unsatisfactory improvement. However, despite being offered three extensions, she did not finish her assignment “the sentence referred to.
AISA, CFI, DISSC, and the Fraternity Movement are among the student organisations that released a statement denouncing the “relentless harassment and discriminatory treatment” of a research scholar. “This act of retaliation against a female researcher who endured a pregnancy during the epidemic but nevertheless managed to complete her fieldwork and meet all course requirements is strongly condemned. The department and the university, for reasons best known to the department and her Supervisor, have engaged in reprehensible behaviour and in the most unjust and spiteful activities instead of offering this woman scholar every help imaginable “the sentence included
