SFI asks Smriti Irani to sack Delhi University VC

Kolkata, March 26 (IANS) The CPI-M-backed Students Federation of India (SFI) on Thursday urged Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani to sack the vice-chancellor of Delhi University for alleged financial irregularities and autocratic decisions harming students' interests.

SFI general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Ritabrata Banerjee, in a letter to the minister, said: "I am writing this letter with faith that the ministry, under your able leadership, will take this process to a logical end and will sack this VC for the unpardonable harm done to the public education."

"Statutory bodies were bypassed to push inconsistent financial decisions such as diverting Rs.172.56 crore out of an OBC (other backward classes) grant meant for expansion in teaching faculty and general upgrade of infrastructure towards purchase of laptops for the batch of FYUP (four-year undergraduate programme) students...as well as diversion of funds from School of Open Learning," Banerjee wrote.

Delhi University introduced the four-year undergraduate programme for students during the rule of Congress-led UPA. It was scrapped after the BJP came to power at the Centre last year.

Banerjee accused Delhi University vice chancellor Dinesh Singh of misusing emergency powers to amend statutes and ordinances, take arbitrary decisions on "routine matters related to programmes and courses of study", tenure and processes of teaching and administrative appointments.

"The VC ignored the government's reservation policy and implemented his own version of the 200-point reservation roster, which denies the reserved categories their entitlements of posts through the calculation of historic shortfall and backlog..."

"VC of Delhi University Dinesh Singh is responsible for the current state of affairs," he said.

The Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal also accused the vice chancellor of pushing an allegedly "illegal B.Tech course" without approval from the concerned authorities, which has put "future of more than 6,000 students at risk".

"His continuation at the helm of affairs (of the university) will only do further harm to the university," Banerjee said.

Last Friday, the HRD ministry issued a "show of cause" notice to Singh, asking him to explain the situation resulting in introduction of the controversial FYUP and other allegations against him.

The VC has been given 15 days to respond to the notice.