The method for appointing a brand new vice-chancellor to Visvesvaraya Technological College (VTU) has been mired in controversy from the phrase go, with allegations from favouritism to dereliction of obligation to legal prices surfacing towards candidates shortlisted for the Belagavi-headquartered establishment’s high job.
The allegations got here quickly after a VTU search committee introduced its shortlist of three vice-chancellor candidates—Anand Deshpande, Vidyashankar S and Gopal Mugeray—on September 24.
Dr Ok Mahadev, a member of the planning, monitoring and analysis board of College of Mysore, alleged that Vidyahshankar has many legal circumstances towards him. In Might, the orthopaedic surgeon moved the Karnataka Excessive Courtroom accusing Vidyashankar, at the moment vice-chancellor of Karnataka State Open College (KSOU), of malpractice and corruption.
Dr Mahadev’s petition alleges that Vidyashankar, as a mechanical engineering professor on the Bangalore Institute of Know-how, had allowed college students to cheat throughout VTU examinations on a large scale. He additionally accuses Vidyashankar of misinforming unionists and abetting labour strikes “to the detriment of the Bangalore Institute of Know-how”.
“Because the V-C of Karnataka State Open College, Vidyashankar illegally indulged within the building of three regional centres at Magadi, Mangalore and Dharwad aside from a number of excessive colleges, costing practically Rs 100 crore, along with an current 21 regional centres utilizing the college funds,” Dr Mahadev additional alleged in his petition.
As well as, Vidyashankar was additionally booked underneath Indian Penal Code sections for “voluntarily inflicting harm by harmful weapons” to Pradeep Giri, assistant registrar, KSOU. The FIR was registered within the Jayalakshmipuram police station on August 2.
One other shortlisted candidate, NIT-Goa director Gopal Mugeray, a former professor of chemical engineering at Nationwide Institute of Know-how-Karnataka, has been debarred from the committees of the All India Council for Technical Schooling (AICTE). In line with an AICTE order dated August 5, 2018, Mugeray and 6 others had been faraway from the apex physique’s panel of consultants.
Final week a grievance towards Deshpande, the opposite vice-chancellor candidate, was registered with the Karnataka Lokayukta. Deshpande, now VTU registrar, is alleged to have launched crores of rupees on the finish of the present vice-chancellor’s tenure. The vice-chancellor is because of retire this month. A September 28, 2021 round from the Karnataka governor directed vice-chancellors to not take any main coverage selections if their tenure ends inside two months.
“The abolition of election to the senate by the forms and the politicians has corrupted the general public universities in Karnataka. This has nurtured favouritism, corruption and different unlawful actions in appointment of senate members and V-Cs. In consequence, rampant corruption has taken roots within the greater schooling system and has endangered lecturers to an important extent,” mentioned Dr Mahadev.
For his half, Vidyashankar attributed vested pursuits to the allegations and urged he was able to face the circumstances. “It is vitally clear that I’m being focused with vested pursuits… I’m able to face the inquiry. I’m additionally able to enchantment towards the excessive court docket order if it’s shouldn’t be in my favour. Till then it’s only a stranger who’s concentrating on me with motivated pursuits. I’m on this race by myself benefit and the great work I’ve accomplished in bettering the standard of schooling through the years,” he mentioned.
And VTU issued an announcement addressing the allegations of irregularities and the violation of the governor’s order.
“That is to make clear that the college unanimously nominated its sitting members, one every from the Government Council and the Tutorial Senate, to the search committee strictly as per the provisions within the VTU Act. These members have been the a part of govt council and tutorial senate constituted by Hon’ble Governor of Karnataka. Concerning cost launched by the college within the final two months of the tenure of the current V-C, these funds are associated to ongoing tasks and routine bills as accepted by the Government Council. No new coverage selections have been taken and actions of the college are in adherence with Hon’ble Governor’s Order,” learn the assertion.