Reliance India Foundation chairperson Nita Ambani is not joining the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) as a visiting professor, the institution clarified on Wednesday. The company’s statement came a day after several university students protested against the so-called “appointment” outside the Vice Chancellor’s residence. RIL clarified that Ambani has not received an invitation from BHU. The clarification from BHU came after reports claimed the university’s political science department had extended an offer to Ambani to join as a faculty member for women’s studies.
The reports had triggered protests by students at the BHU campus Tuesday and Wednesday. Students said the university was setting the wrong example by appointing the wife of billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani as a visiting professor while hundreds of deserving, NET-qualified candidates were jobless.
The BHU administration clarified that there was “neither a decision nor a proposal in this regard”.
“In connection with various media reports claiming that BHU has extended a proposal asking Nita Ambani to join as a visiting professor of women’s studies in the department of social science, it is to be clarified that there is no decision to appoint her as a professor in any department/centre as a visiting faculty at the university. There is no official decision in this regard, neither was any official order issued about the same,” a BHU spokesperson said in a statement issued Wednesday.
“It is to be noted that for appointment as visiting faculty at the university, approval of concerned authorities is required. In this case, there was neither any approval nor a proposal for consideration by the concerned authorities (sic),” the statement added.
The reports were also refuted by Reliance. News agency ANI cited a company spokesperson as saying: “Reports that Nita Ambani will be a visiting lecturer at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) are fake. She hasn’t received an invitation from BHU.”
Thus, the reports are deceptive and caused chaos for no certain ground.
