Delhi University has called an emergency meeting of its Executive Council (EC) tomorrow following the President's directive to recommend a replacement for former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan in the VC search panel, but the matter has surprisingly not been listed on the agenda.
While the EC members have flagged the issue, officials in the varsity played down any controversy in this regard, saying the matter will indeed be taken up during the meet.
HRD ministry had last week objected to the nomination of Kasturirangan to the selection panel for the next VC as him being an honorary professor could lead to conflict to interest
While the ministry had recommended to President Pranab Mukherjee to send current VC Dinesh Singh on forced leave, the Visitor had asked the varsity to convene a meeting and nominate a replacement for Kasturirangan.
Few members of the EC, the varsity's apex body, have written to Singh objecting to the absence of the issue on the meeting agenda.
"To our astonishment, the agenda does not list Constitution of the Search Committee, which is a matter that the university needs to take up with the utmost urgency, as your term finishes in just two weeks. We express our dismay that in the agenda papers, which run into 50 pages apart from the Annexures, this important item is not listed," EC member Abha Dev Habib said.
She also said, "the VC has claimed that Kasturirangan's appointment was an 'oversight'. The former ISRO chief was also on the panel which selected Singh as the Vice Chancellor. Then he was made honorary professor with Singh's approval. How can this information be an oversight, it is nothing but a calculated move."
Javed Chaudhury, who is the Chancellor's nominee in the EC, has also objected to the same saying, "the agenda has no item which deserves emergent attention. However, such a crucial issue has been dropped from it".
"We cannot take the EC for granted. If at all the matter is discussed without it being on agenda, it will take a decision the way it was taken earlier without any deliberation," he added.
The varsity authorities, however, maintained that though the matter was not listed on agenda it would be placed before the council during the meeting.
"The MHRD has written to the university to send another nominee. It will be brought before the EC for necessary action," DU Spokesperson Malay Neerav said.
