The Vice Chancellor of Visva Bharati University, Sushanta Dattagupta, was not given a clean chit on charges of sexual harassment when he was director of the SN Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) in Kolkata, Parliament was today told.
As per a report of a committee set up by the Department of Science and Technology, Dattagupta "was not given a clean chit and the committee held the view that the Visakha guidelines have been violated, if not in letter at least in spirit.
"As a consequence, the charge of the post of the director of SNBNCBS was taken from him by the Department of Science and Technology," Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani told Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question whether it was a fact that there were charges of sexual harassment against the VC.
Visakha guidelines pertain to the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Dattagupta is also facing allegations of financial and administrative irregularities as the Visa Bharati VC and a committee looking into the allegations has submitted its report to the HRD Ministry recently in which it is said to have found him guilty of such charges.
Meanwhile, to a separate query whether the ministry has conducted an inquiry into the allegations related to the appointment of present director of National Bal Bhawan here, Irani said that the new director, Usha Kumari MC, was found "most suitable" for the post out of three candidates.
Later on, Rishi Kumar Vashisht, one of the shortlisted candidates, had filed a writ petition in Delhi High Court against the decision to appoint Usha Kumari and the matter is currently sub-judice, the minister said.
A search-cum-selection committee, after interviewing 26 candidates, had unanimously recommended three names -- Vashisht, Usha Kumari and Jyotsana Tiwari -- for appointment to the said post.
"The competent authority, after going through the biodata of the three shortlisted candidates, had found Usha Kumari to be the most suitable for the post. She thereafter joined as director on deputation basis on January 22, 2013," the minister said.
