Jawaharlal Nehru University has terminated a senior faculty member following allegations of sexual harassment linked to a Japanese embassy official.
According to reports, Jawaharlal Nehru University dismissed senior faculty member Swaran Singh from the School of International Studies without benefits, citing allegations of sexually harassing a Japanese Embassy official.
Who Is Swaran Singh?
On JNU's official website, Swaran Singh is listed as a member of the Centre for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament at JNU's School of International Studies.
Swaran Singh holds an MA in Political Science from the University of Delhi, a PhD in International Studies from JNU, and a post-doctoral diploma in conflict resolution from Uppsala, Sweden.
Swaran Singh's research interests span multiple areas, including arms control and disarmament, conflict resolution, peace studies, and India's defence and nuclear policy.
In 2001, Singh joined the School of International Studies at JNU, according to the JNU website.
Before this, Singh served as a research faculty member at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis (IDSA) in New Delhi from 1992 to 2001.
Swaran Singh also held leadership roles, including president of the Association of Asian Studies in 2006 and general secretary of the Indian Congress of Asian and Pacific Studies in 2008.
In 2012-2014, he served as Chief Vigilance Officer at JNU.
JNU Statement
University officials confirmed that this was not an isolated case and several complaints had been received against the professor in the past.
"This administration is committed to a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual predators, rent seekers and corrupt staff," JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit told PTI.
She said the dismissal reflects the university's firm stance on campus safety and accountability.
A senior faculty member, who did not wish to be named, said the incident took place in May last year.
"There was an intense amount of investigation by the committee in the case, where both sides had the opportunity to present witnesses,” as quoted by HT.
About The Victim
The victim, who works at the Japanese Embassy here, was allegedly molested by a faculty member during a university event. She returned to Japan and lodged a formal complaint.
The matter was brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy through diplomatic channels and later forwarded to the Ministry of External Affairs and the university.
Similar Cases
Another faculty member from the Environmental Science Department was dismissed due to corruption charges related to a research project, which was subsequently investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Other faculty members have faced disciplinary actions, including withheld increments, censure, and mandatory sensitisation training.
