The South Asian University (SAU) in New Delhi has dismissed Associate Professor Snehashish Bhattacharya, two years after suspending him over allegations of supporting student protests against stipend cuts. The order, effective from June 16, 2023, was made public on Thursday and accuses him of “incitement of students against the interest of the university.”
Bhattacharya, who joined the university in 2011 and taught its first batch of Economics students, was among four faculty members suspended in 2023 for allegedly violating the code of conduct. While two of his colleagues were reinstated after submitting letters of regret, Bhattacharya refused to apologise. A contractual faculty member had already left when his tenure expired.
The controversy dates back to 2022, when SAU reduced monthly stipends for master’s students from ₹5,000 to ₹3,000. Students responded with protests, demanding that stipends be raised to ₹7,000. Even after the partial rollback, demonstrations continued, prompting the university to call in police to disperse students at its Chanakyapuri campus in October 2022.
Bhattacharya, along with 12 other faculty members, had criticised that decision in a letter, warning it would harm the institution’s “international character.” Later, in November 2022, he joined 14 other faculty in another statement calling the expulsion of protesting students “arbitrary actions” that could destabilise the university.
These communications became part of a Disciplinary Committee inquiry in November 2023, which listed 52 charges against him, including “wild and unsubstantiated allegations,” “concealment of facts,” and “incitement” through mass emails. The committee wrote, “Sending mass emails to the entire teaching, non-teaching and student community is clear evidence of incitement.”
Bhattacharya, in his written defence, rejected the charges. “Raising procedural concerns is a responsible function of any employee,” he argued. But the university described his reply as “unsatisfactory.” The termination order cites Article V of SAU’s code of conduct and says his response to an August 2024 show cause notice “had no substance.”
His dismissal has triggered sharp criticism from SAU’s alumni association. In a letter dated September 4, 2025, former students urged the Executive Council to revoke the suspension and dismissal. Calling Bhattacharya a mentor with a “foundational role” in their academic journey, they said his removal sets a “ghastly precedent regarding the treatment of those who dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to the institution.”
The alumni also questioned the university’s claims. “He is the least likely person in SAU to ever incite students or act against the interests of the University,” the letter stated, calling the proceedings “biased” and “utterly absurd.”
