an appeal from iiita professor-must read
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Appeal from U.S. Tiwary professor of Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIITA).TRANSCRIPT
An Appeal
To Whomsoever It May Concern
This letter is an appeal against forcibly relieving me from the post of Professor at Indian Institute of information Technology, Allahabad and not allowing to continue my academics and research at the institute and thereby disrupting my career and harassing me by the director of the Institute, Dr. M.D. Tiwari, because I am against the dictator‐like rule and many irregularities at the Institute.
Myself, Prof. Uma Shanker Tiwary, is presently working as a professor, since 2006 ( earlier as Associate Professor since 2002), at Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad (IIITA), an Institution established and funded by MHRD, Govt. of India. Before joining IIITA I was working with University of Allahabad, now a central university, since 1988. I devoted my whole career in developing world class research and academic environment in India, so that bright researchers can get engaged in exciting research in India itself and can contribute to the knowledge and technology development in India, specially in the field of Information Technology and Computer Science. I have authored one book from Oxford Univ. Press, edited seven Proceedings of International Conferences published by Academic Press and IEEE, USA and others. Worked as team leaders for many international Collaborations with foreign laboratories, delivered invited lectures in many universities abroad, published technical papers, supervised research students and developed state‐of‐the‐art laboratories at IIITA.
However, I was completely shocked to get a relieving letter from the Director of IIITA, Dr. M.D.Tiwari, in the late evening of 22 December, 2009 ( copy enclosed) which mentioned that “ Dr. U. S. Tiwary is being relieved to his parent University with immediate effect” and conspicuously the charge of my work (which also includes my laboratory, supervision of research and MTech students, organization of the International conference on Intelligent Human Computer Interaction from 16‐18 January, 2010, and many other important work) was resumed by Prof. R.C. Tripathi, Dean ( R&D) in the afternoon of 22 December ( before I got the letter ). It is to be noted that I met the director in the evening of 22nd December regarding a letter of support for an Indo‐Australian Collaborative Workshop on Human Centred Computing, but he did not even mention about my relieve. After getting the letter and reading it in the evening at 7 pm at my residence in the campus, my blood pressure shoot up and I fell down. I tried to talk on the telephone but it was not picked up, then I sent an email at night to give me appointment to discuss the problems ( if any) but he did not give the appointment, rather the next day my email facility was withdrawn from iiita and my name has been removed from the faculty list of iiita website and an email was sent to everyone( all members of iiita) that I went
to my parent institute. The director, in his personal conversation told some staff members that he wanted to teach me a lesson.
The reason for relieving me, as given in the letter, mentions that the University of Allahabad, through a letter dated 05/25 Nov 2009 asked the director of IIITA ( although both are autonomous institutions) to ask Dr. U. S. Tiwary to report back to the University immediately. The director did not discuss this letter with me and the next day, when I met the Vice‐Chancellor of University of Allahabad, he said that he has no idea about the case, and I should meet the Registrar of the University ( Dr. J. N. Mishra). It should be noted that I had applied for voluntary retirement in Allahabad University in 2007 and a reminder was also sent about it in 2008 through IIITA Officials. University Registrar never replied about this voluntary retirement application and as per Central Civil Services rule, if no negative reply is obtained within three months, it should be deemed accepted. Based on this, I sent a letter to the director in 2007 and IIITA allowed me to join Contributory Provident Fund from 2007 only. Hence, my status in the University is voluntarily retired and in IIITA as Permanent Professor. Thus this whole episode is to victimize me by the Director, Dr. M. D. Tiwari, conspiring with the Registrar of Allahabad University, Dr. J.N.Mishra. He is saying that my application for voluntary retirement is not there in university files, while director says that he has not received any reply about that. Without investigating the problem, a shift action has been taken, which shows the malafide intensions of Dr. M.D. Tiwari. It is again worth mentioning that Dr. J. N. Mishra is a good friend of Dr. M.D.Tiwari, Dr. J.N. Mishra is included in some of the committees of IIITA and he is also the supervisor of a staff at IIITA ( Executive Secretary , Ms. Seema Shah).
I appeal to you to restore my position at IIITA as Permanent Professor and stop the victimization of teachers and staff and students who try to raise their voice against the administration by the Director, Dr. M.D. Tiwari. A thorough investigation of the working procedures, rules and regulations and academic and financial matters be carried out by a higher authority and good governance and democratic procedures be established at IIITA in the supervision of MHRD and eminent experts.
Let me describe some points, speaking against which led to victimization :
i) Director, M.D.Tiwari, did not allow me to complete the 3 years term for Dean (Academics) and HOD ( MTECH) and took charge himself for more than a year, as I was not a ’yesman’. He interferes in all day to day activities and there is no defined work and responsibilities and terms and conditions for the Dean and HoD posts. What will be the basis of appointment of these posts and will be on the basis of rotation or not is not very clear. Some people are continuing beyond 3 years. In fact the statutes are not available on the website, neither it is ever given to staff ( nobody knows it exists or not).
ii) The environment in the campus is fearful and depressing as there are no forums for students, faculty and staff where they can tell their grievances. Rather, an action is taken against those who express their grievances.
iii) Even after more than ten years of existence, first year BTech students stay around 20 Kms away from the main campus in Naini .
iv) There is another institute ( they call it extension campus but it has a separate name and some separate DFO and DR post exists), RGIIT where no faculty is there, but faculty of IIITA are forced to go to Tickermafi, Amethi and take classes there, in addition to taking classes at IIITA and the traveling time is 6‐7 hours (to and fro). This is continuing since last four years.
v) Large number of teachers leave the institute, because of the depressing environment and load on each teacher is against all norms. One can calculate by noting that the number of faculty shown on the website is 25, number of students approximately 1200, and two branches of BTech, Seven specializations of MTech, MBA(IT) and MSCLIS programs running.
These are just some typical points, which indicate the load and pressure on teachers, students and staff and the fearful and depressing environment. A faculty will stay only, if they can do exciting research and get a free think environment in a democratic set up. The institute is fully funded by the Govt. of India and has a potential to become an excellent academic and research centre if students and teachers and staff become the part of the decision process and democratic and well defined procedures are followed. I appeal to all concern to see that such autonomous institutions like IIITA, should not become a playground of some vested interest people, like Dr. M.D.Tiwari, who is continuing as Head of the institution since its inception in 1999 and still claims that he will be there for many years.