The committee constituted by the Union Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry to look into the allegations levelled by Chandra Krishnamoorthy, Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry Central University and the counter-allegations by former Registrar Raajiv Yaduvanshi resumed its enquiry on the premises on Thursday.
It may be recalled that the proceedings began on August 24 under a two-member fact-finding committee headed by former Vice-chancellor of Dr. MGR Medical University, Mayilvahanan Natarajan. After Mr. Natarajan recused himself from the probe, the panel was reduced to a one-man entity of V. Balachandran, former Director General of Police of Tamil Nadu.
On Thursday, Mr. Balachandran held discussions with the VC on the university premises. Mr. Balachandran also received complaints from the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising teaching and non-teaching staff associations and the Pondicherry University SC/ST employees association.
The committee will conduct enquiry into violations of Statutes regarding nomination of Prof. Hariharan in the Planning Board, Prof V. Indumathi as Director of Studies, Educational Innovations and Rural Reconstruction, illegal detention of a student and complaint by R. Samyuktha, Librarian.
The committee will also go into the allegations of the VC against Mr. Yaduvanshi.
The VC had alleged that Mr. Yaduvanshi was frequently on leave and many important files requiring administrative sanctions and policy decision were not cleared by him.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Balachandran said that since Mr. Natarajan had recused himself from the enquiry the HRD Ministry had issued an order appointing a one-member panel headed by him to go into the allegations levelled by the former Registrar and counter allegations by the VC. “I have been given two months to submit by report to the government. The same terms of reference in the earlier fact-finding committee will also hold good for my enquiry. The probe is to find out whether there is any truth in the allegations”, he said.
Mr. Balachandran said that JAC had presented him with a new set of allegations questioning the appointment of the VC to the post and certain other allegations. The new set of allegations is outside the scope of my enquiry unless specifically directed by the HRD Ministry, he said.
Meanwhile, JAC has alleged that neither the VC nor the Registrar informed the various associations and other stakeholders about the visit of the fact-finding committee to the university in spite of being aware of it on November 20 itself.
“This is clearly with the intention of denying opportunity to the stakeholders to present their inputs to the committee. The failure to inform the relevant parties amounts to undermining and interfering with the fair functioning and enquiry of the fact finding committee”, a spokesperson of JAC said.
