The Education Ministry wrote to the President’s office on Saturday, seeking an enquiry against Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi, according to senior officials. The Ministry has also directed strict action to be taken against Prof. Tyagi’s appointee as the Registrar of the University.
The Ministry’s intervention into the ongoing power struggle at the university could now result in the ouster of Prof. Tyagi, who has been on leave allegedly on medical grounds for more than three months.
‘Misgovernance’
The President of India is the Visitor of DU, the only figure above the V-C in the university’s hierarchy. The Education Ministry’s letter to the President, sent on Saturday, has asked him to use his authority to order an “enquiry into all issues of misgovernance”, senior officials said. Prof. Tyagi is likely to be asked to take leave pending enquiry.
The current power struggle at DU came to light on Wednesday, when both Prof Tyagi, and Pro Vice-Chancellor P.C. Joshi, who had been acting the V-C during his absence, appointed different people to the post of Registrar.
On Thursday, the Ministry backed Prof. Joshi and his appointee Vikas Gupta, and directed that Prof. Tyagi’s orders issued in his absence be considered invalid. However, Prof. Tyagi’s Registrar appointee, P.C., Jha had written to the Ministry on Friday, insisting that the V-C’s decisions were in compliance with the Act, Statutes and Ordinances of the university.
On Saturday, the Ministry shot back with a letter, sent from Deputy Secretary Birendra Kumar Singh to Registrar Vikas Gupta. “This Ministry is in receipt of a letter dated 23.10.2020 received from one Shri P.C. Jha claiming to be Registrar of Delhi University. It is requested to ascertain who is this person and if he turns out to be an employee of Delhi University, then strict action as per the Delhi University Act, 1922 and Statutes and Ordinances made thereunder may be taken,” read the letter.
