The Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (DSS) on Monday alleged that rules had been flouted in the appointment of two lecturers by the St. Mary’s Syrian Pre-University College at Brahmavar in Udupi district. But the college said the appointments were made as per government rules.
Addressing presspersons here, M. Devadas, organising convener of State unit of DSS, said the college had called for applications for the posts of a lecturer each in Kannada and English languages on May 22, 2009. As many as 11 candidates had applied for the posts. But the college flouted the rules to appoint two candidates with lower marks compared with two Scheduled Caste candidates who had higher marks, they said.
The Udupi district unit of DSS then urged the Principal Secretary of Education Department to cancel these appointments. It also took up this matter with the Lokayukta and Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission.
The Principal Secretary had cancelled these appointments. But in 2013 when it called for the appointments again, the same procedure occurred, the DSS alleged. Though the DSS had alerted Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Kimmane Ratnakar of the matter, he approved the appointments. Even the Deputy Director of Pre-University Education had not stopped the appointments.
Salvador Naronha, principal of the college, said the charges were baseless. “The college is a linguistic minority institution and both the appointments were made as per government rules,” he said.
S.S. Shindha, Deputy Director of Pre-University Board, said the college management had made the appointments with government approval. “I am neither the appointing nor the approving authority,” he said.
