Chandigarh, March 14 — Jyotirmaya Khatri, officiating principal of DAV College, Sector 10, has resigned from his post, with the DAV College management in New Delhi accepting his request on the same day it was submitted.
Khatri, who took charge on August 31, 2024, has been directed to hand over responsibilities to the senior-most faculty member, Mona Narang, an associate professor in the mathematics department.
A faculty member, requesting anonymity, linked the resignation to tensions during Holi celebrations at the college. “Two unions are active on campus, and he was accused of favoring one while the other had been protesting for a week,” the faculty member said. His tenure also saw a faculty member accused of sexual harassment, with no action taken so far.
Khatri dismissed speculation, stating, “It’s a simple resignation and an internal matter. I have no issues with anyone and will continue as a professor.”
UT director of higher education, Rubinderjit Singh Brar, said the matter had not been reported to him. He clarified that private aided college management committees can make such appointments, subject to departmental confirmation.
The college has been without a regular principal since October 2022, relying on officiating heads despite advertising the position three times in two years. Brar noted that the department had urged the college to expedite the appointment process.
Former English professor Anil Bhatia called the resignation’s acceptance “illegal,” arguing that only the college’s governing body, as per Panjab University’s academic calendar, holds such authority. “
A non-statutory management committee has taken over this power while the UT higher education department and Panjab University remain silent,” he said.
