New Delhi, October 28
Deputy Foreign Minister of the University of Delhi, Yogesh Tyagi, was suspended on Wednesday by order of President Ram Nath Kovind, who has also led an investigation against him on allegations of breach of duty, according to Ministry of Education (MoE) officials.
The move comes amid a power dispute at the central university.
The president, who is the visitor to the university, has suspended Tyagi to ensure that the investigation is fair and that he cannot tamper with material records or coerce witnesses, a senior ministry official said.
“All orders issued or issued with Yogesh Tyagi’s approval during the period of his absence for medical reasons are annulled and considered void,” the official said.
Tyagi has been on leave since July 2 when he was admitted to AIIMS under emergency medical condition. On July 17, the government had given Pro-VC PC Joshi the post of VC, until Tyagi takes office.
The ministry official said: “The Vice Chancellor does not manage the university in accordance with the (legal) provisions … which has led to poor governance and a malfunction of the University of Delhi. This is not conducive to an appropriate university academic and administrative environment. “
“The President of India, in his capacity as a visitor to the University, considering the facts and the material available in the file, has ordered an investigation into the accusations of breach of duties and lack of commitment and devotion to duty against him. The president has also been pleased to suspend Yogesh Tyagi with immediate effect until further orders, as he can influence / coerce witnesses and alter the material records of the university to ensure a fair investigation, ”the official said.
A controversy erupted last week when Tyagi removed Joshi as a pro-VC on Thursday and appointed Geeta Bhatt, director of the university’s Non-College Women’s Education Board, in his place.
Meanwhile, Joshi had notified the appointment of a new registrar, Vikas Gupta, whose interview had been completed and the appointment authorized by the executive council on Wednesday.
However, on the same day, Tyagi approved and notified the appointment of PC Jha as Acting Registrar and Director of the South Campus.
The ministry then intervened in the power dispute between the vice chancellor and the vice chancellor, saying that the appointments made by Tyagi were not “valid” because he is on leave.
The power struggle escalated with Jha writing to the ministry citing himself as “acting registrar” and saying that all decisions made by Tygai are in accordance with university standards. The ministry took objections to the letter and ordered the varsity team to crack down on him. – PTI
