Govt wants DU V- C to go before retirement?

With barely three weeks remaining till his retirement, the human resources development ministry is understood to have recommended to President Pranab Mukherjee to ask Delhi University vicechancellor Dinesh Singh to go on forced leave, only to withdraw the request within hours.

Prof. Singh is alleged to have endorsed the name of former Isro chief K. Kasturirangan in the selection panel for the next V- C even as he continues to remain a honorary professor, thus giving rise to conflict of interest.

The human resources development ministry has also asked the university to propose another name in place of Mr Kasturirangan, though the university denied having received any such communication.

Reacting to the latest developments, Prof. Singh feigned ignorance about the ministry’s communication to Rashtrapati Bhavan. “We have also not received communication so far asking for a replacement for Mr Kasturirangan. If the same is communicated to us, we will take measures accordingly,” he said.

The development comes shortly before Prof. Singh retires as the DU V- C after completing an eventful tenure on October 28.

Sources said the ministry had to withdraw the request sent to the President ( who is the visitor to Central universities) apparently as Rashtrapati Bhavan was not inclined to take any action with barely a few weeks remaining till Prof. Singh’s retirement.

Prof. Singh and the HRD ministry have been at the loggerheads ever since the four- year undergraduate programme ( FYUP) row with the latter issuing him a show- cause notice.