[ Bengia Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 25 Aug: The Raj Bhavan here has asked Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) Vice Chancellor Prof Saket Kuswaha to respond to the representation submitted by the Rajiv Gandhi University Teachers’ Association (RGUTA), in which it has alleged serious procedural lapse in the amendment of the RGU Act during the 50th executive council (EC) meeting of the university held on 10 April this year.
In a letter addressed to the VC, the deputy secretary to the governor wrote: “I am directed to request you to kindly send comments on the issue raised in the representation for the kind perusal of the governor at the earliest.”
In May this year, the RGUTA, along with the Rajiv Gandhi University Employees’ Association and the Rajiv Gandhi University Indigenous Employees’ Forum had written to governor, who is also the chief rector of RGU, alleging serious procedural lapse in the amendment of the RGU Act, 2006, No 8 of 2007.
In their representation, they had drawn the governor’s attention to the procedural lapse in amending the statute, Section 30, 2 (4) of the RGU Act by the 50th EC on 10 April.
“The statute of Act of RGU, 2006 was brought forth to be amended in the 50th EC without prior information or recommendation of the committee, academic council and statutory committee. It is also to be taken to your kind attention that Vice Chancellor Prof Saket Kushwaha as a chairman himself had proposed the matter of the amendment of the statute in a surreptitious way in the EC.
“This clearly contradicts his position as a chairman of the EC, as per the provisions of the Section 30:3:2 of the RGU Act, 2006,” the RGUTA wrote in the representation.
The three organisations further alleged that the amendments made in the EC “indicated the VC being the sole and direct beneficiary.”
“The decision taken hurriedly cautions towards the unethical practice of the vice chancellor about the said decision. This issue of ‘conflict of interest’ also directly contravenes the directives provided under Clause 3.8 under the head ‘The Vice Chancellor/Pro-VC/Rector’ in the Governance in Higher Education: Hand Book for Vice Chancellors provided by the UGC,” they added.
“The EC has not referred or quoted any specific documents, letters, etc, for enhancement of age and reappointment of vice chancellor, which is ambiguous and misleading, as evident from the minutes of the 50th EC meeting,” the letter added.
The RGUTA appealed to the governor to ensure harmonious and amicable atmosphere in the lone central university of the state.
Welcoming the governor’s decision, it said, “We wanted to meet the governor, who is our chief rector. We wanted to brief him about various issues concerning RGU and also welcome him to the RGU as he is our new chief rector. Hopefully, this intervention from his office will be the start of better things,” said a member of the RGUTA.
