The Delhi High Court recently upheld the termination of a faculty member at Delhi University’s (DU) Jesus and Mary College who is accused of demanding bribes from students in exchange for managing their marks and attendance.
In an order passed on September 12, Justice Jasmeet Singh rejected the plea filed by Thelma J. Talloo, a former Reader in the Commerce Department at Jesus and Mary College, who had challenged a 2012 arbitral award delivered by the Appeals Committee of the DU regarding her termination.
The court said that the teacher’s conduct, that is, solicitation of illegal gratification from students, is grave and strikes at the core of academic integrity. It noted that the proceedings against the faculty were “fair and the findings are supported by evidence”.
“....and the penalty has already been tempered by leniency. Hence, under Section 34 of the Act, no ground for setting aside or further modification of the award is made out by the petitioner,” the court ruled while dismissing the plea.
The committee’s award against Ms. Talloo stated that she was terminated for “misconduct.” In its report, the committee stated that students accused the complainant of demanding cash and jewellery, such as diamond earrings and a pearl string, in return for academic favours, including increasing marks and attendance.
