Raghunath K. Shevgaonkar, who resigned as Director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, on December 22, is waiting for the Human Resource Development Ministry to relieve him even after he has completed the stipulated three-month notice period.
He is being made to wait as the HRD Ministry appears to be in no mood to relieve him. Prof. Shevgaonkar communicated his concern to the IIT chairman and the matter was taken up by the IIT Board on March 12. The Board gave its nod to relieve him and conveyed its decision to the Ministry. But Prof. Shevgaonkar continues to attend office, though he is keen to move on and devote time to research.
Such is the level of distrust between Prof. Shevgaonkar and HRD Minister Smriti Irani, sources said, that the Ministry will perhaps relieve him on June 12, three months after the Board communicated its decision to the Ministry.
Shevgaonkar saga raises questions on IITs’ autonomy
Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani’s silence on the issue of IIT-Delhi Director Raghunath K. Shevgaonkar’s resignation has been the subject of much speculation.
It is learnt that whenever the subject cropped up, the Minister’s response was to always remind everyone that Prof. Shevgaonkar remained the director of IIT-D, which was proof of her non-interference.
Last month four MPs cutting across party lines had complained about the interference of Ms. Irani in prestigious institutes such as the IITs.
Decision after meeting Minister
The Shevgaonkar saga perhaps nails the lie on the much-vaunted autonomy of IITs. From all accounts, Prof. Shevgaonkar is a competent administrator and academic. Described as a gentleman by his contemporaries, he had a cordial relationship with his faculty as the Director of IIT-Delhi.
Yet, after completing three-and-a-half years of his five-year tenure, Prof. Shevgaonkar dramatically offered to resign on December 22, the decision coming a mere 17 days after his meeting with the HRD Minister on December 5.
Sources close to Prof. Shevgaonkar described the closed-door meeting as extremely unpleasant. The meeting, according to sources, left Prof. Shevgaonkar quite bruised, after which he made up his mind to quit.
