MHRD pulls up BBAU's acting V-C

LUCKNOW: The Union ministry of human resource development (MHRD) has pulled up the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University's (BBAU) acting vice-chancellor Prof B Hanumaiah for interfering in university's affair. In a letter written to the university, the ministry has stated: "The V-C was requested to refrain from initiating any action to make selections/promotions, two-three months before the expiry of his term.The advice is valid till the new vice-chancellor is appointed. Accordingly, consideration of policy issues and appointments made by the Board of Management (BoM) headed by the present V-C who has completed his term (on June 17) and has been allowed to continue till his successor joins, will not be in order''.
The ministry also rebuked the university for not sending their clarification on the appointment of three persons - RK Sonkawade, Sanjay Kumar and Prof NMP Verma in the Board of Management (BoM) - the principal executive body. One of the BoM members has alleged that the university had illegally removed the sitting members of the BoM and inducted these three ineligible persons.
The MHRD has sent this terse letter after the university sidelined the show-cause notice issued by the President of India's office regarding anomalies in appointments of 42 teachers and had proposed a meeting of BoM on July 22. In this light, the MHRD has directed the university to keep the July 27 BoM meeting in abeyance till the university furnished a clarification in respect of three 'illegal' appointment in the BoM.
According to a BoM member, appointment of RK Sonkawade as professor has yet not been ratified by the BoM and therefore, he should, by any means, not have been included in the BoM. Similarly, as per the statute, Sanathan Nayak, head, department of economics, should have been appointed in the BoM but unfortunately his junior, Sanjay Kumar have been favoured. The BoM member also mentioned that Prof DP Singh refused to be the head and therefore his term in BoM should have continued till August. However, Prof NMP Verma has been nominated in place of Prof Singh.
The MHRD, in this regard, has sought explanation from the university on June 27 but the university's reply is still waiting. The ministry states that under present circumstances, the composition of BoM is under dispute, and that the business transacted by this BoM will have no legality and validity.