JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit (image: screengrab: x.com/EduMinOfIndia

A written explanation has been sought by the Ministry of Education (MoE) from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit concerning her absence from a key conference for Vice-Chancellors of Central Universities, organised by the Central government in Gujarat.

According to officials, Pandit had skipped the conference without prior approval from the Ministry. Her absence was viewed as a serious matter. However, there was no official response from the JNU Vice-Chancellor regarding the matter so far.

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The two-day conference for Vice-Chancellors was held in Kevadia, Gujarat, on July 10 and 11. In addition to the vice-chancellors of Central Universities, attendees included Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, officials from the Ministry of Education, the University Grants Commission, and other academicians.

According to a Press Information Bureau statement, the Vice-Chancellors’ Conference focused on Central Universities as “drivers of educational transformation” and their contribution to Viksit Bharat @2047. It also addressed “critical themes in higher education policy, institutional governance, research and innovation, and national development priorities.”

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Meanwhile, JNU hosted its own three-day conference on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) from July 10 to 12. Although the MoE’s letter acknowledged the overlap with the Vice-Chancellors’ Conference, the Ministry expected Pandit to attend at least on the second day.

“While acknowledging that this conference coincided with the conference on IKS at JNU, it was expected that you would join the Vice-Chancellors’ Conference on the second day (11th July 2025), following the inaugural event at your university,” the Indian Express reported, citing the letter.