Taking cognizance of a complaint, Panjab University Chancellor has
sought comments from the Vice-Chancellor on the alleged financial
fraud in the matter of promotion of teachers currently underway in
this University. The matter has reportedly been circulated to the
entire teaching fraternity by PUTA.
In his complaint emailed to the PU Chancellor Dr M. Hamid Ansari on
January 1 this year, a Chandigarh based RTI activist Dr Rajinder K
Singla has alleged that the present Vice-Chancellor Prof Arun Kumar
Grover has brushed under the carpet UGC regulations dated 14 June 2013
while undertaking promotions to the posts of Professors and Associate
Professors under the Career Advancement Scheme. According to these
regulations, Indian Universities are required to implement ‘capping’
while calculating API score for the purposes of promotions.
According to the complaint, PU has been deliberately delaying the
implementation of UGC norms on ‘capping’ in order to give promotion to
candidates who were otherwise not eligible as per UGC norms.
Implementation of these rules was initially dragged for over 10
months, when the Senate finally decided to make them effective with
effect from May 25, 2014. Finding that this delay was not enough to
accommodate all the favourites, Senate in is meeting of December 14,
2014 extended it further till October 31, 2014, obviously to
accommodate left-out candidates. The action on the part of the
University amounts to misappropriation of tax-payers’ money, giving
financial benefits to those who are otherwise not entitled to them as
per existing UGC rules. Singla has raised a suspicious finger at the
functioning of the Governing Bodies of the University – Senate &
Syndicate – as to how could they turn a wrong into right by majority.
PU claims to follow Punjab Government in the matter of service
conditions and grant of pay scales to its employees. In the instant
case, however, PU has even disregarded the Government of Punjab which
had adopted these Regulations since July 30, 2013, alleges Singla,
enclosing with his complaint a letter of 06-09-2013 issued by the
Director, Education Department (Colleges), Punjab.
Prof. Ved Prakash, Chairman of UGC, had said during his visit to PU
few months back that this University won’t be allowed to amend UGC
norms at its own and the UGC guidelines should be implemented in the
University on time. Despite all that, people sitting at the helm of
affairs of this University continue to disregard UGC norms time and
again.
Elevation to higher pay scales and increments by defying UGC norms on
‘Capping’ would lead to financial implications resulting in huge loss
of public exchequer, if the beneficiaries succeed to go scot free. The
complainant has sought an expeditious investigation by the agencies
outside the influence of academicians so that the public money lost
via such designs could be restored.
Singla has blamed the Vice-Chancellor to be continuously and
consistently violating rules, administering the University in an
arbitrary and autocratic manner, and responsible for the financial
fraud in the current promotions, he being the principal executive and
academic officer of the University and custodian of its rules,
regulations and statutes.
Besides PU Chancellor, copies of the complaint have also been sent to
the PM office, CAG, UGC, CVC, MHRD, MHA, CVO and Director Local Audit,
UT Chandigarh.