Raj univ V-C among five booked for false verification report

A COMPLAINT HAS BEEN LODGED IN THE MATTER BY FIROZ AKHTAR, JOINT SECRETARY, EDUCATION DEPT (GROUP-4) ON APRIL 19

JAIPUR: The higher education department of the Rajasthan government has lodged an FIR against Sukhadia university vice chancellor America Singh and four others for allegedly submitting a false verification report of a university in Sikar that is alleged to only exist on paper.

A complaint has been lodged in the matter by Firoz Akhtar, joint secretary, government of Rajasthan, Education Department (Group-4) on April 19.

On March 24, the state government had to withdraw a private university Bill from the state assembly after the opposition BJP claimed that the varsity — named Gurukul University and purported to be situated in Sikar district — existed only on paper.

During the session the issue was brought to the notice of Speaker CP Joshi and higher education minister Rajendra Yadav by the deputy leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore that the facts mentioned in the bill regarding the infrastructure were “fake” and there is no construction on the land as mentioned in the bill.

Rathore had stated that, “On March 19, I myself had visited the site of the University and there was nothing. For the first time in my experience, a Bill tabled in the assembly, which was passed in the cabinet was withdrawn.”

A case has been lodged against founder trustee of the Gurukul Educational Institute, Ranjit Singh; professor America Singh, assistant professor Vijay Beniwal, Jayant Singh and professor Ghanshyam Singh Rathod, said a state government official familiar with the case.

The report stated that on March 12, 2021, the founder trustee of the Institute had proposed setting up a university, along with the application fee.

After receiving the proposal, a committee was constituted under IV Trivedi, vice chancellor Govind Guru Tribal University, Banswara, to examine the proposal.