The State government on Tuesday announced an inquiry by a senior bureaucrat into the allegations of irregularities in recruitment to posts of assistant professor and associate professor at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru (UAS-B). The recruitments were conducted in the last week of January.
Announcing the decision in the Legislative Council, Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda acknowledged that though the government had given permission to fill 49 posts, the university had gone ahead and filled 107.
His response came after MLC R. Chowdareddy Thupalli raised the issue and many from the Opposition benches, including Leader of the Opposition K.S. Eshwarappa, alleged irregularities in the appointments made just ahead of the end of the Vice-Chancellor’s term. Mr. Chowdareddy said the recruitments were in violation of the norm that the V-C cannot take major decisions in the last six months of his or her tenure.
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“Several meritorious students, and even some gold medallists, have been ignored. The university has gone ahead with the appointment without approval from the Finance Department,” Mr. Eshwarappa said.
In response, Mr. Gowda said: “The Governor’s circular issued on July 15, 2016 indicated universities should not take any major decisions during the last six months of the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor. While the government’s advice was set aside, the university considered a general circular from the Governor’s office directing it to fill up the vacant posts.”
He also said it had come to the government’s notice that the 377th board of management meeting of the university was held on January 29, 2018, and the appointment orders issued on the same day. The Vice-Chancellor completed his term on February 15. “An anonymous letter in the name of qualified aspirants demanding justice has also been received,” he added.
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While members of the Opposition sought a stay on the appointments, Mr. Gowda said: “A hurried decision could lead to a legal problem. We will order an inquiry and if the recruitments can be stayed under the law, we will do that as well.”
The Minister added that though the government has given autonomy to universities to undertake good work such as research, it is also being used for such purposes.