HRD ministry orders probe against AMU VC

AGRA

: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has constituted a 5-member team to conduct a detailed probe into allegations of financial, administrative and academic irregularities and mismanagement against Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor, Lt Gen (retd) Zameer Uddin Shah.

The UGC’s decision to conduct the probe come after the HRD ministry found the VC’s response to the show-cause notice issued by the President "unsatisfactory". The probe team would conduct academic, research, financial and infrastructure audit of Aligarh Muslim University in pursuance of HRD ministry’s orders that were issued on April 25. According to the order, the committee will have one month time to complete its report.

According to information, a show cause notice was issued to the VC by Deputy Secretary of Government of India on October 25, 2016, following complaints of financial, administrative and academic irregularities and mismanagement and creation of an unhealthy atmosphere in the AMU. The notice, issued on the directions of the President, Dr Pranab Mukherjee, had sought VC’s response as to why an inquiry may not be instituted to inquire into the complaints.

According to information received under the RTI Act, the reply of show cause notice was filed on December 8, 2016 and it was received by the ministry on December 14, 2016. The file was returned by HRM (Human Resource Minister) office on March 2, 2017 with the comments that "it may be put up with the report of audit by UGC".

The RTI response states that “Nothing such as clean chit has been issued” to VC, Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah (Retd).

Shah is among the eight central university VCs who are under the scanner of of the NDA Government that took charge in 2014. The ministry had initiated the process to launch a probe based on the complaint submitted by Wasim Ahmed, Ex-visitor's nominees to the AMU court.

Quoting the VC, media consultant of AMU, Dr

Jasim Mohammad

, said "we have nothing to fear. The probe would clear the air".

Registrar of AMU, Prof Javaid Akhtar said that no official letter about the probe has been received so far. “We will co-operate with the committee and provide all help”, he said.

The allegations against the VC include, Illegal transfer of funds to the tune of Rs 51,78,634 collected from students from the university account to the account of a private trust named Sir

Syed Educational Foundation

and Appointment of a retired Brigadier as Pro V-C, although UGC regulations mandate that the position should be occupied by a professor. The appointment was done by the V-C by invoking his emergency powers, Appointment of ineligible candidates, assistant professors were appointed against vacant positions of professor and associate professor, collapse law and order in the university, victimisation of teachers and other staff.

When contacted, Wasim Ahmed, the complainant, said, “we just want an impartial inquiry and CBI should be entrusted the task to conduct it”.

VC, Shah, who was appointed by the UPA-II government in May 2012, is set to retire in May this year.

Incidentally, the HRD ministry, under Smriti Irani, had earlier fired the heads of Visva-Bharati University and Pondicherry University on the grounds of administrative, academic and financial irregularities. Inquiries were also initiated against the IGNOU V-C, former head of Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia V-C.