Not satisfied with NID director’s response, students continue stir

Ahmedabad: The protest by the students at National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad continued for the second consecutive day on Tuesday over the transfer of faculty members by the new director, Ashok Mondal. No fewer than 20 faculty members and heads of departments were transferred in a sweeping order by Mondal immediately after he took over, in alleged violation of rules for appointments and transfers. Even Praveen Nahar, the outgoing director, was not given a formal send-off, sources added. They said that after a discussion with the students at the amphitheatre on Monday, Mondal assured them of an email outlining answers to all their concerns about the activities, courses and the impact of the mid-term changes made pertaining to the faculty. "The director indeed sent an email, but it is so vague and non-committal that the student community felt betrayed. Answers were not given to questions such as why all the women in lead positions were removed. The director said that all the questions shall be answered in due course. The students thus decided to protest and demand answers," a source at the institute said. "Some student representatives were called to the director's office and reportedly asked not to continue the stir."Some senior faculty members convinced him, after which he turned up at the event, sources said. The students said they are also tired of the vague terms on which academic pursuits are being conducted. "How can a faculty member from one discipline become an expert in another in a matter of days or months? The change is not being made even at the start of the term. We are already in the middle of the projects and conceptualisation. Thus, some clarity about how the institute will function would be of great help," said a student on condition of anonymity. Sources said, Mondal attended Alpavirama, the international youth film festival hosted by NID.