Ashok Mondal, the newly appointed director of the National Institute of Design (NID), departed for Delhi on Thursday, following student protests against his recent decision to reshuffle faculty members and discipline leads. This marks his first visit to the capital since taking charge last Friday.
Sources suggest that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, which oversees NID, may have taken note of the dissent. Reports indicate that the student body has already approached ministry officials regarding their concerns.
Despite a meeting late on Wednesday between the student body and the director, no resolution was reached. Students remain steadfast in their demand for greater clarity on the changes to the design disciplines and for the matter to be resolved swiftly.
“The director assured students that faculty members are being reassigned rather than relocated,” a source revealed. “Among the issues discussed was the transfer of NID’s previous director, Praveen Nahar, to the Bengaluru campus. When asked about the future roles of the former discipline leads, the director stated he was working on the details and would issue an official order soon.”
The protests began on Monday, with students dressed in black staging a demonstration outside the director’s office. The Student Activity Committee (SAC) wrote to Mondal on Monday, seeking transparency after a sudden reshuffle within the institute. Faculty members also voiced similar concerns, questioning the hasty changes made without prior consultation. One senior faculty member highlighted the unusual timing of receiving an office order on a Sunday, adding that the rushed process had caused anxiety among students and staff.
Mondal’s reshuffle announced on Sunday, has led to ongoing discussions between the director and the students, though the differences remain unresolved. Faculty raised concerns about the new responsibilities assigned to individuals without proper technical alignment or expertise. In addition, the issue of female representation was flagged by the SAC, though Mondal had noted in a previous communication that 33% of women hold key roles on a rotational basis at NID.
Despite meetings between Mondal and five members of the SAC, the student representatives expressed dissatisfaction with the director’s responses. While students have decided to continue their peaceful protest, they confirmed they will not boycott academic work, as their semester-end juries are scheduled for later this month.
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