Day after V-C’s suspension, DU sets up fact-finding team to probe power tussle

New Delhi: A day after President Ram Nath Kovind suspended Delhi University vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi, the executive council (EC) -- the highest decision making

New Delhi: A day after President Ram Nath Kovind suspended Delhi University vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi, the executive council (EC) -- the highest decision making body of the institution -- on Thursday constituted a fact-finding committee to look into last week’s developments that plunged the university into an unprecedented crisis.

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EC member Rajesh Jha said, “The order issued by the education ministry on Wednesday was tabled today. A fact-finding committee was constituted over the developments on this matter following October 21. Geeta Bhatt will be issued a memo and the administration will decide action on that basis. In the meantime, PC Jha will not be given any administrative responsibility.”

On October 22, V-C Tyagi had approved Bhatt and Jha’s appointments as interim pro-vice chancellor and interim registrar following a high-stakes tussle between two rival groups -- one led by pro vice-chancellor PC Joshi and another backed by Tyagi -- appointing their nominees as the new registrar simultaneously.

Last week, the education ministry intervened and backed Registrar Vikas Gupta, who was appointed by PC Joshi in the last executive council meeting held on October 21. As per university norms, the EC has the power to appoint registrar, librarian, and principals among other posts.

In the past one week, Gupta issued two memorandums to PC Jha – on October 24 and 27 – asking him to explain why he was issuing various notifications and “claiming to be Registrar (Acting)” which led “to an impression of confusion in the University to its stakeholders and society at large.”

According to discussions in the EC on Thursday, Jha responded to these memos on Wednesday saying he was issued the necessary appointment letters obeying V-C’s instructions.

“I was under the impression that as per DU acts, statutes and ordinances, I have to obey instructions given to me verbally or written by the vice-chancellor. Therefore, I replied to all letters communicated at the appropriate time and issued various notifications. I understand that there were contradictory communications amongst the academic community which led to some scale of confusion,” Jha wrote in his response.

Despite repeated requests, Jha and Bhatt did not comment on the matter on Thursday.

The university has also been witnessing a flurry of appointments, transfers, and removals with the crisis unfolding since last week. On Thursday too, the university administration withdrew the appointment of chairperson and member of the governing body at Dyal Singh College.

Sisodia reacts

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, reacted to the developments in DU on Thursday and said that the Centre reacted too late. He pointed out to the education ministry order which also cited that there had been a delay in formation of governing bodies in the university – a claim often put forward by the Delhi government.

“There was a problem in functioning of DU, including mismanagement in Delhi government-funded colleges. I have been raising this for two years. It’s too late for central government to react and the delay shows that they are unable to handle prestigious institutions like DU,” he said.