An Appeal

To Whomsoever It May Concern

This letter is an appeal against forcibly relieving me from the post of

Professor at Indian Institute of information Technology, Allahabad and not
allowing to continue my academics and research at the institute and thereby
disrupting my career and harassing me by the director of the Institute, Dr.
M.D. Tiwari, because I am against the dictator-like rule and many
irregularities at the Institute.

Myself, Prof. Uma Shanker Tiwary, is presently working as a professor,

since 2006 ( earlier as Associate Professor since 2002), at Indian Institute of
Information Technology, Allahabad (IIITA), an Institution established and
funded by MHRD, Govt. of India. Before joining IIITA I was working with
University of Allahabad, now a central university, since 1988. I devoted my
whole career in developing world class research and academic environment
in India, so that bright researchers can get engaged in exciting research in
India itself and can contribute to the knowledge and technology
development in India, specially in the field of Information Technology and
Computer Science. I have authored one book from Oxford Univ. Press, edited
seven Proceedings of International Conferences published by Academic Press
and IEEE, USA and others. Worked as team leaders for many international
Collaborations with foreign laboratories, delivered invited lectures in many
universities abroad, published technical papers, supervised research
students and developed state-of-the-art laboratories at IIITA.

However, I was completely shocked to get a relieving letter from the

Director of IIITA, Dr. M.D.Tiwari, in the late evening of 22 December, 2009
( copy enclosed) which mentioned that “ Dr. U. S. Tiwary is being relieved to
his parent University with immediate effect” and conspicuously the charge of
my work (which also includes my laboratory, supervision of research and
MTech students, organization of the International conference on Intelligent
Human Computer Interaction from 16-18 January, 2010, and many other
important work) was resumed by Prof. R.C. Tripathi, Dean ( R&D) in the
afternoon of 22 December ( before I got the letter ). It is to be noted that I
met the director in the evening of 22nd December regarding a letter of
support for an Indo-Australian Collaborative Workshop on Human Centred
Computing, but he did not even mention about my relieve. After getting the
letter and reading it in the evening at 7 pm at my residence in the campus,
my blood pressure shoot up and I fell down. I tried to talk on the telephone
but it was not picked up, then I sent an email at night to give me
appointment to discuss the problems ( if any) but he did not give the
appointment, rather the next day my email facility was withdrawn from iiita
and my name has been removed from the faculty list of iiita website and an
email was sent to everyone( all members of iiita) that I went to my parent
institute. The director, in his personal conversation told some staff members
that he wanted to teach me a lesson.

The reason for relieving me, as given in the letter, mentions that the
University of Allahabad, through a letter dated 05/25 Nov 2009 asked the
director of IIITA ( although both are autonomous institutions) to ask Dr. U. S.
Tiwary to report back to the University immediately. The director did not
discuss this letter with me and the next day, when I met the Vice-Chancellor
of University of Allahabad, he said that he has no idea about the case, and I
should meet the Registrar of the University ( Dr. J. N. Mishra). It should be
noted that I had applied for voluntary retirement in Allahabad University in
2007 and a reminder was also sent about it in 2008 through IIITA Officials.
University Registrar never replied about this voluntary retirement application
and as per Central Civil Services rule, if no negative reply is obtained within
three months, it should be deemed accepted. Based on this, I sent a letter to
the director in 2007 and IIITA allowed me to join Contributory Provident Fund
from 2007 only. Hence, my status in the University is voluntarily retired and
in IIITA as Permanent Professor. Thus this whole episode is to victimize me
by the Director, Dr. M. D. Tiwari, conspiring with the Registrar of Allahabad
University, Dr. J.N.Mishra. He is saying that my application for voluntary
retirement is not there in university files, while director says that he has not
received any reply about that. Without investigating the problem, a shift
action has been taken, which shows the malafide intensions of Dr. M.D.
Tiwari. It is again worth mentioning that Dr. J. N. Mishra is a good friend of
Dr. M.D.Tiwari, Dr. J.N. Mishra is included in some of the committees of IIITA
and he is also the supervisor of a staff at IIITA ( Executive Secretary , Ms.
Seema Shah).

I appeal to you to restore my position at IIITA as Permanent Professor

and stop the victimization of teachers and staff and students who try to raise
their voice against the administration by the Director, Dr. M.D. Tiwari. A
thorough investigation of the working procedures, rules and regulations and
academic and financial matters be carried out by a higher authority and
good governance and democratic procedures be established at IIITA in the
supervision of MHRD and eminent experts.

Let me describe some points, speaking against which led to

victimization :

i) Director, M.D.Tiwari, did not allow me to complete the 3 years

term for Dean (Academics) and HOD ( MTECH) and took charge
himself for more than a year, as I was not a ’yesman’. He
interferes in all day to day activities and there is no defined work
and responsibilities and terms and conditions for the Dean and
HoD posts. What will be the basis of appointment of these posts
and will be on the basis of rotation or not is not very clear. Some
people are continuing beyond 3 years. In fact the statutes are
not available on the website, neither it is ever given to staff
( nobody knows it exists or not).

ii) The environment in the campus is fearful and depressing as

there are no forums for students, faculty and staff where they
can tell their grievances. Rather, an action is taken against those
who express their grievances.

iii) Even after more than ten years of existence, first year BTech
students stay around 20 Kms away from the main campus in
Naini .

iv) There is another institute ( they call it extension campus but it

has a separate name and some separate DFO and DR post
exists), RGIIT where no faculty is there, but faculty of IIITA are
forced to go to Tickermafi, Amethi and take classes there, in
addition to taking classes at IIITA and the traveling time is 6-7
hours (to and fro). This is continuing since last four years.

v) Large number of teachers leave the institute, because of the

depressing environment and load on each teacher is against all
norms. One can calculate by noting that the number of faculty
shown on the website is 25, number of students approximately
1200, and two branches of BTech, Seven specializations of
MTech, MBA(IT) and MSCLIS programs running.
These are just some typical points, which indicate the load and
pressure on teachers, students and staff and the fearful and
depressing environment. A faculty will stay only, if they can do exciting
research and get a free think environment in a democratic set up. The
institute is fully funded by the Govt. of India and has a potential to
become an excellent academic and research centre if students and
teachers and staff become the part of the decision process and
democratic and well defined procedures are followed. I appeal to all
concern to see that such autonomous institutions like IIITA, should not
become a playground of some vested interest people, like Dr.
M.D.Tiwari, who is continuing as Head of the institution since its
inception in 1999 and still claims that he will be there for many years.