In an unprecedented move, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the University of Delhi, Yogesh Tyagi, was suspended on Wednesday by order of President Ram Nath Kovind. Vice Chancellor PC Joshi would now replace Tyagi, under the rules and regulations of the Delhi University Act of 1922. This is the first time in the 98-year history of DU that a Vice Chancellor has been suspended.
The president, who is the visitor to the university, also ordered an investigation against Tyagi into allegations of breach of duty and suspended him to ensure that the investigation is fair and that it cannot alter material records or coerce witnesses, said a senior. official of the Ministry of Education. Tyagi, whose term was scheduled to end in March 2021, has also been accused of a lack of commitment and devotion to duty against him.
Additionally, all orders issued by or with Tyagi’s approval during the period of his absence will be null and void, as per the order issued by the ministry. The move comes amid a power dispute at the central university. 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 Joshi the post of VC, until Tyagi takes office.
The DU Teachers Association said it had presented a ‘white paper’ on the matter in June 2019, while claiming that the Ministry of Education and the University Scholarship Council (UGC) were aware of the crisis at the university. and they were complicit in allowing mismanagement.
‘He did not fulfill his obligations’
The ministry order shed light on the administrative lapses during Tyagi’s tenure regarding flagship schemes, appointment to key positions, and performance in breach of the rules of the Delhi University Act of 1922, and that several key positions remained. vacant during his tenure.
He said that Tyagi failed to fulfill his duties and responsibilities entrusted to him under the law. “Many statutory and key positions listed below remained vacant during his tenure despite regular monitoring by the administrative ministry,” the order said.
The order stated: “The PVC (pro-VC) assists the VC in all academic and administrative matters and during the VC’s absence performs the functions of the VC. However, the PVC position was vacant from 2016 until Professor PC Joshi was appointed PVC in June 2020 after great persuasion from the administrative ministry, ”he added.
“The position of Registrar is vacant from March 2020 to mid-October 2020 along with that of Finance Officer and Treasurer, who have been vacant since March 2020.” The position of Examinations Controller has been vacant for the past six years, and of “Vacancy Librarian from mid-2019 until now”.
This was noted by the dean of universities, “responsible for caring for some 90 constituent / affiliated universities and institutions.” This publication is being administered by a temporary arrangement, the order said.
The South Campus principal position, which cares for all South Campus colleges and performs the same functions as the dean of the colleges, is also managed by temporary arrangement.
“There has been an excessive delay in appointing permanent directors at many universities, which is also a serious problem.” The constitution of the governing bodies has also been delayed, the order further said.
“Despite the clear message from the ministry to fill teaching positions within a specified time frame, the process to fill vacancies has been delayed. The Honorable High Court of Delhi had also expressed concern that faculty positions are not filled on a regular basis and special arrangements have continued for many years. The SC / ST parliamentary welfare committee at its meeting held on October 20, 2020 expressed its displeasure at not filling a large number of vacancies in the SC / ST category ”Despite the meetings held with the minister of education and the Secretary of Higher Education, “the CV did not make substantial progress on the issues mentioned,” he said.
The order further noted that certain complaints of surveillance and cases of sexual harassment at the university are also pending for more than two years in violation of the provisions of the relevant law, despite regular monitoring by the ministry. “This shows callousness on the part of the VC in resolving such matters.”
VC’s alleged negligence in administrative matters came to the fore in handling the problem of ad hoc teachers, resulting in massive upheaval in the universities. This caused “nuisance and loss of learning teaching days,” the ministry said.
‘Emblematic schemes suffered’
On the recommendation of the Committee of Empowered Experts (CEE) at its 542nd meeting held on August 2, 2019, the university was recommended to the Institute of Eminence (IdT). On September 4, the ministry asked DU to present its 15-year strategic vision plan and its five-year rolling implementation plan in the form of memoranda of understanding to be signed with the ministry. On March 30, 2020, the ministry requested all institutions declared IoE to submit a detailed project report by April 30.
However, the university submitted its DPR in the last week of September. “This delayed the implementation of the flagship scheme of this ministry in DU,” the order said.
‘Obstruct the functioning of the university’
Tyagi was admitted to AIIMS, New Delhi, in the first week of July 2020 for emergency surgery. Since then he has not attended the office and stayed away from official duties. He did not ask for permission or inform the EC. He hasn’t even attended any meetings since then, including the NEP 2020 implementation visitor conference on Oct. 19, the ministry said.
An EC meeting scheduled for October 10, when the agenda was to discuss the appointment to various positions, including that of registrar and OC, was postponed by verbal instruction from Tyagi for 10 days. Tyagi had reportedly said that he would resume his duties by then. However, it had to be postponed for “no recorded reason.”
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 regulations.
“Professor Jha tried to interrupt the EC meeting. However, this was not allowed, as EC resolved that Professor Suman Kundu would continue as Director of the South campus and interim registrar until the duly appointed registrar joined, ”he said. The ministry took objections to the letter and ordered the varsity team to crack down on him.
“Therefore, he tried to impede the smooth running of the EC meeting and the selection committee meetings by making parallel appointments. With these arbitrary decisions he created an environment of conflict and uncertainty in the administrative functioning of the university ”.
“And while the CV does not administer the university in accordance with the provisions of said laws, statutes and ordinances of the University of Delhi, which has led to bad governance and a malfunction of the University of Delhi. This is not conducive to suitable academics or the administrative environment of the University of Delhi, ”the order reads.
Meanwhile, DUTA said that the fact that actions are being taken and an investigation has been established is confusion. He said the move comes after a bitter struggle between two factions of the “right” “Is it justice for the professors and the University or part of the muscle flexing that has been witnessed over the last week?” He said in a statement.
“The ministry is equally guilty of creating crisis after crisis at DU, whether it’s its agenda to privatize through forced memoranda of understanding or the recent imposition of OBE on hapless students,” said DUTA treasurer Abha Dev Habib.
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