Support pours in for Safoora, 150 activists urge Jamia VC Najma to revoke cancellation of her admission

Supports pour in for Safoora, 150 activists urge Jamia VC Najma to revoke cancellation of her admission over ‘unsatisfactory’ progress report

Since news surfaced of Jamia cancelling student activist Safoora Zargar’s admission citing “unsatisfactory” progress report by the supervisor, support has poured in for Safoora.

She was enrolled with the Department of Sociology in the integrated MPhil/PhD programme. The university in a notice said the scholar did not apply for an extension before the “expiry of the stipulated maximum period”.

A few hours ago, Safoora wrote that on August 30, 2022, over 150 feminist activists, individuals and groups came together to appeal to the Vice Chancellor and Faculty Committee of Jamia Millia Islamia University to revoke the cancellation of her admission, and to allow me to submit  her Mphil thesis.

Also, SOAS India Society wrote: “We are shocked & disappointed at the academic and admin apparatus of Jamia Milia University for cancelling the enrollment of Safoora Zargar. We demand that she be immediately reinstated with all required extensions & the release of all unfairly imprisoned after Delhi pogrom.”

Safoora was arrested in a 2020 riots case during the anti-CAA-NRC protest and is out on bail.

In a notification dated August 26, office of the dean, Faculty of Social Science, said she did not submit her M.Phil dissertation within the maximum stipulated time of five semesters.

“The registration of Safoora Zargar from M.Phil./Ph.D. (Sociology) stands cancelled w.E.F. 22 August, 2022, in anticipation of the approval of the same of the Faculty Committee,” the notification read.

The dean’s office mentioned that the action has been taken on the recommendation given by the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) on July 5.

“On the recommendation of the RAC, dated July 5, the DRC (Department Research Committee) dated August 22, and the supervisor’s report, the Board of Studies approved the cancellation of admission of Safoora Zargar, M.Phil./Ph.D Scholar, registered under Prof. Kulwinder Kaur,” the notification further read.

“The scholar did not submit her M.Phil dissertation within the maximum stipulated time of five semesters plus on an additional semester of Covid extension (sixth semester) that was also given to her, which ended on February 6,” the notification mentioned.

Following which, Safoora tweeted: “The usually snail-paced Jamia admin moving at light speed to cancel my admission, foregoing all due process. Let it be known, it breaks my heart but not my spirit.”

Earlier she said she wrote Najma that she was being subjected to undue harassment and ridicule at the hands of the administration.

“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 (University Grants Commission) 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.