Gilles Verniers, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Ashoka University and the director of its well-known Trivedi Centre for Political Data (TCPD), was denied tenure under suspicious circumstances. It would appear that this denial of tenure came about due to pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), because of Verniers’ support for another academic we have written about previously
September 18, 2023
Rudrangshu Mukherjee
Chancellor, Professor of History
Ashoka University
Plot No. 2
Rajiv Gandhi Education City
National Capital Region P.O. Rai
Sonepat, Khewra
Haryana-131029
India
E-mail: chancellor@ashoka.edu.in
Dear Chancellor Mukherjee:
The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.
We are writing in regard to Gilles Verniers, assistant professor at Ashoka University and director of the Trivedi Centre for Political Data (TCPD), which provides valuable data widely used throughout Indian politics. He was recently denied tenure and forced to leave his position. Additionally, the TCPD is to be merged with another center at Ashoka without any consultation with the TCPD’s board of directors.
The Committee is concerned that this denial of tenure and dissolution of the TCPD is retribution for Prof. Verniers’ social media posts in support of Prof. Sabyasachi Das. Prof. Das was apparently forced to resign for writing an academic paper on election interference taken to be critical of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). We have written to you about Prof. Das’ case previously. The Committee is concerned that these incidents reflect a growing pattern of academic institutions relenting to government pressure and funding threats, or even the perceived threat of it, and thus silencing free speech on campus and the right to academic freedom.
We write to urge your administration to fully reconsider Verniers’ tenure, prevent the dissolution of the TCPD, and allow him and the TCPD to continue his work unimpeded. Otherwise, the university must fully explain the rationale for denial of tenure. The reputation of the university, especially to new hires and students, and to other academic institutions, is under threat. The availability of impartial political data is vital to the health of Indian democracy.
Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. We will be closely following developments in this case.
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
CC:
Dharmendra Pradhan
Minister of Education
Ministry of Education, Government of India
302-C, Shastri Bhawan
New Delhi, Delhi 110001
India
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Twitter: @EduMinOfIndia
E-mail: minister.sm@gov.in