On Thursday, October 29, Delhi’s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia termed the Ministry of Education’s intervention in the happenings at Delhi University as “delayed action”, including the suspension of vice chancellor Yogesh Tyagi over alleged administrative lapses. Sisodia, who is also Delhi’s education minister, said the lapse is also on the Centre’s part that such prestigious institutions are being allowed to be mismanaged.

Sisodia told media sources, “It is unfortunate that a prestigious university like DU has to witness all this. The central government is not able to take care of prestigious institutions like this and reports of such mismanagement are coming.”

“First time it has happened in DU’s history that questions have been raised on the leadership. I have been raising several issues pertaining to DU with the Centre for two years but there has been an extreme delay in taking an action. This action has come at a very late stage,” he added.

Sisodia’s comments came a day after DU vice chancellor Yogesh Tyagi was suspended on the orders of President Ram Nath Kovind after an inquiry was instituted against him over allegations of administrative lapses and dereliction of duty. The action comes amid a power tussle in the central university.

Read: Delhi University VC suspended over “misconduct”

Among the lapses flagged against Tyagi are non-filling of vacant positions, delay in redressal of sexual harassment cases and vigilance complaints in university, mishandling of the issue of ad hoc teachers which led to a massive agitation, and non-submission of detailed plan for implementation of the Institution of Eminence (IoE) and the latest being certain appointments made while he is on medical leave.

Tyagi has been on leave since July 2 when he was admitted to AIIMS under emergency medical condition. The government had on July 17 given pro-VC P C Joshi the charge of VC, until Tyagi resumes office.

Registrar Vikas Gupta’s interview had been completed and appointment cleared by the executive council on Wednesday but the same day, Tyagi approved and notified the appointment of P C Jha as acting registrar and director of the South Campus.

The ministry then intervened in the power tussle between the vice chancellor and the pro-vice chancellor, saying appointments made by Tyagi were not “valid” as he is on leave.

The power tussle intensified with Jha writing to the ministry citing himself as “acting registrar” and saying that all decisions taken by Tyagi are in accordance with university norms. The ministry took objection to the letter and directed the varsity to take strict action against him.

Source: PTI

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