E-Paper
Anomalies alleged in profs? selection
FINGERS ARE being raised over the recent interviews held for the selection of professors of its various departments at the prestigious Motilal National Institute of Technology (MNNIT). Upset over the constitution of the selection committee formed for the purpose, a formal complaint has been lodged at the Union Ministry of HRD by a Gorakhpur resident, Dr V Kumar, pointing out various anomalies that, he claims, amount to "violation of the rules of the institution" and render the selection panel "illegal".
FINGERS ARE being raised over the recent interviews held for the selection of professors of its various departments at the prestigious Motilal National Institute of Technology (MNNIT).
Upset over the constitution of the selection committee formed for the purpose, a formal complaint has been lodged at the Union Ministry of HRD by a Gorakhpur resident, Dr V Kumar, pointing out various anomalies that, he claims, amount to "violation of the rules of the institution" and render the selection panel "illegal".
However, MNNIT Director has categorically denied any anomaly in the interviews and maintains that "everything took place as per set guidelines to the best of his knowledge."
In his letter dated March 27, 2006 to the MHRD, V Kumar has claimed that the interviews for the post of professors were held at MNNIT between March 19-22, 2006 at its various departments and that many a assistant professor were made members of the selection committees formed to select candidates for the post of full-fledged professors.
He has pointed out that in the departments of Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry and Physics, the regular heads were not present as members of the selection committee making their constitution illegal.
Kumar has also raised a question over the officiating head of the Computer Science department being made a member of the selection committee for the Chemistry department.
Citing an example, Kumar has pointed out that for the selection committee of Mechanical Engineering department the regular head of the department Dr VK Nema was on leave and the next in the seniority Dr PK Mishra too was out of station. Kumar has alleged that owing to it, Dr Nirjhar Roy, who was acting as the HoD, was made a member of the selection committee for the recruitment of a professor despite the fact that he himself is just an assistant professor in cadre.
Kumar, in the letter, has claimed that for almost all he departments including Applied Mechanics, Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, the head of the departments were of Assistant Professor cadre and acted as member of the selection committee for the post of professors.
He has also claimed that be it the IITs or a Central University, no where is the HoD a member of the selection committee and that even as per the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) of MNNIT, the HoD can be a member only up to the Assistant Professor level (para 12 appointment, page 15 and 16).
