New NID director rushes off to Delhi once again

Ahmedabad: Controversy continued unabated at the National Institute of Design (NID) on Tuesday as the new director of the premier institute, Ashok Mondal, again rushed to Delhi. Sources close to the development said that while the nature of the travel was not known, but it is believed to be related to the institute's ongoing strife involving Mondal, the students, and faculty members.It was Mondal's second visit to Delhi in less than a week, which came close on the heels of the new list of transfers issued on Monday. However, the list was termed ‘old wine in a new bottle' by the students, who said that in the name of changes, the designations of some faculty members were altered, and suggestions related to a few key disciplines were ignored."It is eight days since we met the director to resolve our issues and get some clarity on the ongoing academic year. Despite two shuffles, the key issue of women's representation in academic leadership and ensuring a smooth transition from old faculty to new faculty has not been resolved," said a student representative on condition of anonymity. "On Tuesday too, representatives met the director, but the talks remained inconclusive."Students pointed out that instead of lead and co-lead, the new list just adds B Des and M Des designations. "Some of the faculty names are wrong, indicating how much the administration knows about its staff, let alone consultation as claimed so far," said sources.On Monday, the director's page on NID's official website saw an update on Mondal's name and picture, with the message section showing ‘Page under construction'.
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