Nagpur: A day after TOI reported about allegations of massive irregularities in Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology’s (VNIT) recruitments and promotions, more skeletons are tumbling out of the closet. Now teachers are accusing the VNIT administration of abruptly shuffling deans and heads of department (HOD) even as their tenure was yet to end.
Terming these shifting as “unethical”, they said the outgoing director Narendra Chaudhari shouldn’t have carried out them out as his tenure was to end by June 30. New director Pramod Padole had expressed his opposition to these transfers and even requested him to not to make new appointments till June end. He also wrote a letter to Chaudhari that he would like to have his own team for the next five years.
Chaudhari however denied their allegations clarifying that he was under statutory and contractual obligations to perform his duties. “Those are not permanent postings, but additional ones. It was being done to synchronize entire system before May 1. Those are routine postings done with a view to achieve ‘Institution of Excellence (IOE)’ status for which we’re working day and night.”
Padole confirmed that he had written a letter to director requesting him to have his own team in place after he succeeds him on July 1. “But I’ve nothing more to say on this, as it was his prerogative as director.”
Chaudhari added that Padole should have informed him in advance if he had wanted his own team to be in place for next couple of years. “He approached very late. Still, he has every chance to reshuffle those postings after he takes over the charge from July. We aim to take these prestigious institution to next level. Since I took over, the VNIT has only progressed by leaps and bounds and it was evident from big jump in NIRF rankings from No. 42 to No. 31.”
The teachers however provided many examples to prove their claims. According to them, metallurgy head of department Jatin Bhat was removed just after four months even though the normal tenure was of two years which could be extended by a couple of months. Similarly, chemistry, physics and civil engineering HODs were transferred, even as there were two months remaining for end of their tenure.
Many associate deans are also changed, including that of hostel, institute- industry- interaction, and alumni. The common ethics followed is to continue office-bearers till next director takes charge and allow him to form his team, they claimed.
