College of Architecture: Battle over principal’s post puts Corbusier Fest on back burner

College of Architecture in Sector 12, Chandigarh. (Source: Sahil Walia)

THE COLLEGE of Architecture, Sector 12, is gearing up for the upcoming Corbusier Fest to be held on October 6 but the overhanging battle over the principal’s post is proving to be a dampener. The principal’s office, which had been sealed soon after Principal Pradeep Bhagat was replaced by Sangeeta Bagga, reopened on Wednesday amid high drama.

According to a section of the faculty, it all began after Bagga’s appointment, when Bhagat locked his office and proceeded on leave. In turn, Bagga got the lock sealed after informing the Chandigarh Administration and a committee, comprising members from the college and the Administration. Meanwhile, Bhagat took his case to the Central Administrative Tribunal.

In a fresh turn of events on Wednesday, Bhagat was summoned to the college by the UT Administration and in the presence of some members of the committee of the college and the administration, the seal was broken and the lock opened. Thereafter, Bhagat collected his personal and official belongings from the office and left.

Bhagat denied the charge that he had locked the room deliberately. “False allegations are being levelled against me that I had locked the room intentionally in retaliation when the new principal was declared. I had casually locked the room as I was unwell and going on leave. While leaving, I received the orders and I even congratulated the new principal,” he told The Indian Express. Bhagat was accompanied by his wife and the entire event was captured on video and in photographs.

The episode, said a faculty member, was “completely avoidable” and was “in bad taste” and showed how politics could jeopardise the working of an institution like the College of Architecture.

Bhagat, principal for over six years, was on extension with his term ending this December and many feel that he should have been allowed to continue till his retirement, given a respectful farewell and then the new principal could have taken over.

The matter, added another faculty member, could have been handled more gracefully.

Bagga is in France to attend a programme on architecture. Responding to questions from The Indian Express, she said: “This was an administrative decision [to appoint me] and I am the only professor and PhD holder since 2014. The decision was not sudden.”

Bhagat said Bagga’s PhD was in fine arts from Panjab University and questioned her qualifications for the post of principal of the College of Architecture.

Bagga, a former student of the college and also a teacher there, is the first woman to head the institution. Bhagat has contested the appointment at CAT, saying he could not be removed until his extension ends. But his plea was not granted and the next hearing is in November.

Dean Sohan Lal, currently handling the affairs of the college, said, “The Corbusier fest will be a standard event. No special arrangements have been made as such. To some extent, the internal chaos in management can be cited as one reason.”

A third year fine arts student said there was no one in the faculty to provide leadership for the fest. “We know that the Corbusier Fest is just round the corner. But, we have not received any information from seniors or teachers on the arrangements that have to be made.”