The Hindu : Memo framed against CDE Director of SKU for `lapses'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Memo framed against CDE Director of SKU for `lapses'

By B. Chandrashekhar

ANANTAPUR JULY 16. There appears to be more than what meets the eye in the alleged irregularities in the Centre for Distance Education (CDE) of Sri Krishnadevaraya University. Findings of the inquiry committee on the irregularities have been found to be incomprehensive and lopsided on several aspects of the issue.

An eye on the huge money expected from the MCA admissions in distance education was said to be the reason behind signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a private software education firm, against the interests of the university and the students. The issue of irregularities also appears to be reaching a decisive end.

Findings of the five-member committee probe have failed to throw light on the key issue of who is responsible for framing the MoU with Edutech Informatics India Ltd and how such an agreement was implemented, without even an iota of objection from any official concerned and at any level. The report had dealt only with the irregularities alleged to have taken place due to the indistinct MoU.

The inquiry committee had found violation of the university norms and procedural lapses by the then CDE Director, Ch. Ramaprasada Rao, on the account of expenditure beyond Rs. 25,000 incurred for publishing newspaper advertisements pertaining to the MCA and MBA courses, inaction of the then Vice Chancellor, Y. Saraswathi Rao, in checking such lapses, whenever the related files were taken to her, ignoring the Executive Council (EC) by not placing the draft of the MoU or the signed MoU before it prior or later, lack of modalities on identifying Edutech Informatics as collaborator for MCA courses and framing the MoU against the interests of the university.

The MoU with Edutech Informatics was signed by the Registrar, S. Venkata Naidu, on behalf of the university with Mr Ch. Ramaprasada Rao, the then Director of CDE, as a witness. Neither of the two objected to it while it was being signed. The then Director too did not oppose it even while it was being implemented by him. Curiously enough, both of them still stand in defence of the MoU.

On the antecedents of how Edutech Informatics was chosen as collaborator, Mr. Ramaprasada Rao said that he came to know about it only when a draft MoU was sent to him by the Registrar in June 2001. There was not even a proposal from the CDE for a tie-up, he pointed out. Besides, the proposal had no permission from the then Vice Chancellor either, he said.

Further, Mr. Rao opined that getting the approval of the VC and ratification of the EC should have been done by the Establishment Section in the Registrar's office. However, in contrast, the Registrar, Mr. Venkata Naidu, explained that it was the responsibility of the CDE Director and the convenor of the three-member panel to have got it ratified.

Meanwhile, according to highly placed sources in the university, a charge memo has been framed against Mr. Ramaprasada Rao, as resolved in the last meeting of the EC held on June 19, on the irregularities found by the inquiry panel. It was sent from the Registrar's office to the Head of the Department of SKIM, in which Mr. Rao is a professor, on June 29 but it was sent back as Mr. Rao did not accept it and proceeded on leave.

The sources stated that the matter is now with the new Vice Chancellor, Iqbal Ahmed. Two members of the EC were learnt to have given a representation to the VC against serving the charge memo on Mr. Ramaprasada Rao, while one more member is said to have cited how a resolution of the EC could be overlooked.

Probe by Lok Ayukta official

Meanwhile, the inquiry officer of the AP Lok Ayukta's office, Rajarami Reddy, conducted a probe on Monday and Tuesday and collected information pertaining to the alleged irregularities in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the university with a private collaborator for offering MCA course in distance education mode.

According to university sources, the Lok Ayukta's official collected all the files, papers and reports pertaining to the MoU.

It is learnt that the inquiry officer is likely to submit his report on the probe into the MoU to the Lok Ayukta by August 1.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Naidu to lead all-party team to Karnataka

`PW ban no hurdle to talks'

PW forms two more squads in Khammam

Uncertainty over fate of irrigation schemes

Memo framed against CDE Director of SKU for `lapses'

BJP plays land card in Kothapalli