Explained: Is Nita Ambani Going To Join Banaras Hindu University As Visiting Faculty?
On March 12, an internal proposal was made by the Social Sciences Faculty of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to appoint Reliance Industries Executive Director and the wife of billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani as a visiting professor in the university.
Students' protest
Citing it as a ¡°wrong example¡± being set by the university, over 40 students staged a demonstration outside the residence of Vice-Chancellor Rakesh Bhatnagar on campus and submitted a memorandum, on Tuesday. The students are of the view that instead of Nita Ambani, those who have set an example for women empowerment, should be invited.
Reliance rebuts reports
However, the university officials and Reliance have now said that no such thing has happened. Reliance Industries has said Nita Ambani, 57, has not received any such invitation. Responding to the reports, Reliance Industries Limited spokesperson told news agency ANI: "Reports that Nita Ambani will be a visiting lecturer at Banaras Hindu University are fake. She hasn't received an invitation."
BHU denies invite too
Likewise, a professor - sent to meet the protesting students - was filmed saying the proposal was mooted without the involvement of Ms Ambani. "She has nothing to do with this proposal , the letter has been written internally" , the professor is heard saying.Following which, the BHU also issed a press note issued on Wednesday that said there was no proposal to make Nita Ambani a visiting faculty at any department of the university and no such proposal had been placed before any concerned official within the university too.
U-turn by BHU?
But, before the student's protest grabbed limelight, university sources and various news reports told a contrasting story. Although the proposal had earlier allegedly been sent only to Nita Ambani, authorities affirmed that the other two names reviewed for the remaining two visiting faculty posts were that of Usha Mittal, wife of UK-based steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, and Priti Adani, wife of Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, reported Business Today. The Women Study Centre of the Social Sciences Faculty has three vacant posts for visiting professors. The centre was set up around two years ago.
Contrasting claims? by BHU faculty
"We do academic and research work related to women empowerment, along with graduation and post-graduation courses. Following the BHU tradition of involving philanthropic industrialists, we sent a letter to the Reliance Foundation asking Nita Ambani to join the Women Study Centre as a visiting professor so that we can benefit from her experience. We did this because the Reliance Foundation has done a lot of work in the field of women empowerment," Kaushal Kishore Mishra, Dean of the Social Sciences Faculty, told the publication.
In an interview to news agency PTI, Nidhi Sharma, coordinator of the committee that mooted the proposal, said the proposal to make Nita Ambani a visiting professor has been sent to the authorities at the university. "Nita Ambani is a woman entrepreneur. If she joins our centre, the women of Purvanchal will get the benefit of her experience," Ms Sharma was quoted as saying by PTI.? ? ?
