Vigilance begins inquiry against GNDU VC Prof Jaspal Singh Sandhu
Neha Saini
Amritsar, August 22
The Punjab Government has initiated a Vigilance inquiry against Prof Jaspal Singh Sandhu, Vice Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, on the basis of complaints submitted by the GNDU Teachers Association (GNDUTA).
Open to probe
- VC Prof Jaspal Singh Sandhu says did nothing wrong, open to probe
- Terms allegations baseless and motivated attempt to malign his office
- GNDUTA has also raised questions over the eligibility of the VC
- IG Manmohan Singh of the Vigilance Bureau conducting the inquiry
IG Manmohan Singh of the Vigilance Bureau is conducting the inquiry into allegations of illegal appointments to key posts by the VC and financial irregularities.
GNDUTA president Prof Lakhwinder Singh and secretary Prof NPS Saini had levelled these allegations in March this year. They wrote to the Governor and later to CM Bhagwant Mann in this regard.
Meanwhile, the VC has rubbished the allegations, terming these baseless and a motivated attempt to malign his office. “We are open to any inquiry as we are honest in our functioning. In 2020, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed a PIL filed with similar allegations on my appointment. Not a single penny has been misused and not a single rule flouted during my tenure,” said Professor Sandhu.
In their letter, GNDUTA officials alleged that the VC overlooked qualifications and seniority while appointing the Registrar and the Dean, Academic Affairs, and making appointments to several other key posts. The GNDUTA has also raised questions over the eligibility and appointment of the Vice Chancellor.
In the letter, the GNDUTA alleged that without possessing the requisite qualification of PhD as prescribed by the UGC for the posts of Reader (Health Education) in the Department of Physical Education and Professor in Sports Medicine and Physiotherapy, Sandhu was appointed as Reader in 1994 and later as Professor. “By virtue of his illegal appointments as Reader and Professor, his appointment as VC is also illegal,” the letter stated.
Countering the allegations, the VC said: “The requisite qualification of PhD is not applicable to teachers’ working in the faculty of medicine as per the UGC, which considers the MD/MS degree for the purpose.”
Professor Sandhu was appointed the VC in 2017. Though his tenure ended in 2020, he was given a three-year extension.
