Outcry Over Controversial Replacement of Dr. Santosh Kshirsagar as In-Charge Dean at Sir J J Institute of Applied Art

Mumbai, 29^th November

In a surprising and controversial move, Dr. Santosh Kshirsagar, who has served as the In-Charge Dean at Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art for the past seven years, was replaced on Friday, 24^th November, 2023, by Mr. Rajendra Giri from Nagpur. Dr. Kshirsagar’s tenure witnessed remarkable growth for the institute, elevating its reputation nationally and internationally.

During his leadership, Dr. Kshirsagar played a pivotal role in securing the De-Novo deemed-to-be-university status for the institute. The formal board meeting for the university’s formation is scheduled for 4^th December, 2023. However, this sudden replacement has sparked concerns among students, faculty, and alumni.

An online public petition has been initiated in support of Dr. Kshirsagar, highlighting his contributions and questioning the rationale behind his removal. Critics argue that at a crucial time when the institute is on the cusp of implementation of the university status and faces upcoming retirements of three permanent faculty members, such abrupt change in leadership could jeopardize the institution’s progress.

Link to the public petition: https://chng.it/wqbmNxSr

The petition aims to gather widespread support to urge authorities to rectify what many perceive as an unjustified and detrimental action. Some of the representative reasons mentioned by those who have signed this petition can be seen in the accompanying screenshot.

The Higher and Technical Education Department, Maharashtra State is facing mounting pressure to justify and reconsider the decision, with calls for transparency and accountability in the interest of the esteemed institute’s future.