UAPA Event Cancelled: IISER Mohali Sends Notice To Teachers Who Criticise IISc Bangalore

The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, has issued show cause notices to two of its faculty members for signing a recent letter addressed to the director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, to protest the last-minute cancellation of a discussion on the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) that was to be led by student activists Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita.

The two faculty members, who were the institute's only two teachers to sign the letter, have been instructed to explain their participation without "obtaining the prior approval of the competent authority." 

They have until July 13 to react, and the institute has suspended "the notional allocation of funds" to the two teachers for research purposes in the meantime. The administration believes they are in violation of the Central Civil Services Conduct Rules, which apply to all IISER Mohali workers.

Sridhar Warrier, the IISc Registrar, intervened on June 27 and cancelled the event, which was due to take place at the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) and for which student organisers had acquired approval from the CCE chair. This action was taken because the organisers should have obtained approval from the institute administration rather than just the department.