Ravneet Singh
Patiala, August 18
Senior functionaries of Punjabi University, including former registrar, Dean (Research), Director, Planning and Monitoring and others have been asked by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) to record statements regarding its investigation into alleged violation of the UGC rules during recruitment of 62 assistant professors on the campus. The VB has been conducting an inquiry since it received a complaint in 2020.
The university had hired 62 assistant professors on the basis of PhD from 2009 to 2016 and given them exemption from the UGC NET qualification.
Rules violated
The university had hired 62 assistant professors on the basis of PhD from 2009 to 2016 and given them exemption from the UGC NET qualificationThe VB has been conducting an inquiry since it received a complaint in 2020
Later, a student complained that ineligible candidates were hired on regular posts. Therefore, former acting Vice-Chancellor Anurag Verma formed a committee, which pointed out that the screening panel for recruitment had been abolished and its place a favour screening-cum-verification panel was set up. The exemption from NET was not in accordance with the UGC regulations of 2009, it said.
The matter reached the VB in 2020 and has been under investigation since then.
AIG, VB Flying Squad, Man Mohan Kumar has written to Punjabi University stating, “Statements of officials concerned need to be recorded in relation to an investigation. They are required to be present at the office for the same.”
The list has names of serving and former senior officials, including AS Chawla, Chandan Singh, Manjit Singh Pattar, Prof Sukhdarshan Singh Khehra, Prof Balwinder Singh Tiwana and RK Singh.
When contacted, AIG Man Mohan Kumar said, “The office has been collecting records of recruitment from the university. The officials, whose statements are to be recorded, will also bring records regarding the matter.”
Registrar Prof Navjot Kaur said the VB wants to record statements of functionaries concerned. She added that the university had already been providing demanded records to the VB.
