 "Delhi University. Photo: Facebook")
The Delhi government on Monday ordered funding to 28 Delhi University (DU) colleges, wholly or partially funded by it, be stopped as they failed to set up governing bodies.
The Delhi University, however, assured the government that the bodies in all 28 colleges will be formed within one month.
"(I) have ordered the Finance Department to stop funding for all Delhi government funded colleges, as DU is not willing to have governing bodies for the last 10 months," Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who holds the Education and Finance portfolios, said in a series of tweets.
Alleging corruption was the intent behind the failure to set up governing bodies, he said: "I can not allow unchecked corruption and irregularities to be sustained on Delhi government funds in the name of education."
The decision, taken at a meeting between Sisodia and Finance Department officials on Monday, came after the DU failed to act in this regard despite several reminders by the government.
Sisodia charged the DU with deliberately stalling the process of formation of governing bodies since last September.
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He also noted that the DU Executive Council disapproved the governing body list sent by the state government twice this month, on July 3 and July 17.
Responding to the government's move, the university wrote a letter assuring the formation of governing bodies.
"We have written to the Delhi government and assured that the governing bodies for all the 28 colleges will be formed in August. The list of panelists (forming the body) has been vetted by the Executive Council of the university," Dean of Colleges Devesh Sinha told IANS.
"Grant will not be stopped," he said.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had earlier asked DU not to conduct faculty appointments till the college governing bodies are formed. It had also threatened to stop the funds if it did not comply with the order.
The university has been advertising for faculty appointments after a high court order.
Governing bodies at colleges are responsible for taking several administrative decisions. A full governing body comprises 15 members, out of which five are nominated by the state government.
Out of 28 colleges, 12, including Maharaja Agrasen College, B.R. Ambedkar College, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Keshav Mahavidyalaya and Bhagini Nivedita College are wholly funded by the Delhi government, while the College of Vocational Studies, Rajdhani College, Shivaji College, Motilal Nehru College, Aurobindo College, Kalindi College and Shyama Prasad Mukherji College are among those partially funded.
Meanwhile sacked minister Kapil Mishra criticised the move and demanded that the "anti-student" order be rolled back. He also threatened to launch a student movement in DU from August 7 if the government failed to cancel the order.
Bharatiya Janata Party's Delhi unit president Manoj Tiwari too condemned the AAP move and requested Lt Governor Anil Baijal to look into the matter.
