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Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has officially dismissed Professor Swaran Singh from its School of International Studies after an internal inquiry found him guilty of sexual misconduct. The decision was taken during a meeting of the university’s Executive Council on Wednesday, following an investigation by the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).
The allegations stem from a complaint filed by a woman official from the Japanese Embassy, who had been regularly interacting with Professor Singh while coordinating academic conferences.
Complaint Backed by Recorded Evidence
A JNU official, speaking to The Indian Express, said, “The Japanese official had been in regular contact with the professor to coordinate conferences. She filed a complaint with the university’s ICC and submitted recordings of their conversations as evidence.”
Sources revealed that the complaint came to the university’s attention around May last year. The ICC carried out a thorough investigation, which confirmed the allegations. Singh’s termination comes just a year before his scheduled retirement.
Action Taken Against Other Faculty Members Too
The council also acted on ICC recommendations in three other cases involving faculty members from different departments — the Centre for Historical Studies, the School of Physical Sciences, and the Sanskrit Centre.
Two of these professors were punished by having three annual increments withheld, while a third was directed to undergo sensitisation training for what was termed a “minor offence”.
“These decisions reflect the administration’s zero tolerance policy against corruption and sexual offences. For the first time, students have been given representation in the ICC, an important step toward preserving JNU’s democratic culture,” said Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit.
The council also agreed that student members of the ICC would now be elected, a move that is being seen as a shift toward more transparency and inclusivity in handling such cases.
Past Complaints Against Prof Singh
Professor Swaran Singh was a senior member of the Centre for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament (CIPOD), which operates under the School of International Studies.
According to university sources, this isn’t the first time Singh has faced similar allegations. “The ICC carried out an investigation and found that he had also faced allegations of misconduct earlier, during his time as an associate professor as well,” a faculty member shared.
In fact, Singh had once resigned from his position as an associate professor following previous complaints but later returned to JNU as a professor. Sources say that over the years, the university has received nearly eight complaints of sexual harassment against him.
Despite repeated attempts, Singh did not respond to calls or messages from The Indian Express. Dean of the School of International Studies, Amitabh Mattoo, also declined to comment, and the Japanese Embassy did not reply to emailed queries about the case.
A Long Academic Career with a Clouded End
Swaran Singh was known as a seasoned academic in the field of international relations, with a career spanning over three decades. According to his profile on JNU’s website, he held a Master’s degree in Political Science from Delhi University, followed by an MPhil and PhD in International Studies from JNU. He also pursued a post-doctoral diploma in Conflict Resolution from Uppsala University in Sweden.
His academic work focused on topics like arms control, peace studies, multilateralism, and the foreign policies of India and China.
Singh started his professional journey as a research faculty member at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) in New Delhi, where he worked from 1992 to 2001. He joined JNU the same year. Over the years, he held several notable positions including:
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Chief Vigilance Officer at JNU (2012–2014)
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Visiting Professor at the University of British Columbia (2022–2023)
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Asia Fellow at Beijing University (2001–2002)
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Research collaborator with Centre de Sciences Humaines in New Delhi (2005–2008)
He also served as the President of the Association of Asian Studies and General Secretary of the Indian Congress of Asian and Pacific Studies.
Singh authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and co-authored several works including “Indo-US Cooperation in Countering Cyberterrorism: Challenges and Limitations” and “Covid-19 and India-China Equations: Examining their Interface in the Indian Ocean Region.” His most recent publications include books and papers on “India and ASEAN in the Indo-Pacific,” “Politics of Climate Change,” and “China and the Indo-Pacific.”
