Syndicate to take legal opinion on invalid degrees

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 8

The PU Syndicate on Saturday accepted the report of a varsity panel, which concluded that two teachers from DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh, took advantage of invalid PhD degrees from CMJ University in Shillong, Meghalaya.

The Syndicate decided to take legal opinion on action against computer science teachers Mandeep Josan and Gagandeep Singh Brar.

The PU panel, which visited CMJ University to gather information on validity of PhD degrees, had comprised Senators Ashok Goyal and Prabhjit Singh and Controller of Examinations (CoE) Prof Parvinder Singh.

The report said both teachers concealed the information from the PU that their degrees were declared invalid by the Meghalaya Government.

The report questioned why the university granted “unconditional and unqualified approval” rather than “provisional approval” to these candidates (awaiting verification about the PhD degree awarded by the CMJ University).

The candidates were also called upon to furnish affidavits as per decision of the Syndicate dated January 25, 2015. The affidavits were submitted in May 2015. “Pertinently, none of the affidavits states categorically that their degrees had not been cancelled.

The office/Vice-Chancellor appeared to have deliberately omitted such a declaration in the language of the affidavit as the record made available by the Meghalaya Government reveals that the candidates had been informed in 2014 itself about their degrees being declared invalid,” the report added.

Ashok Goyal, Navdeep Goyal on same page

• The issue of formation of a committee to oversee the working of CoE Prof Parvinder Singh was hotly debated. Both Ashok Goyal and Prof Navdeep Goyal were against the formation of any such committee. During the discussion, the VC sent back all PU officials as he wanted to share his input with the members. 
• The VC told the members that the DMCs were not being issued on time and he only wanted to facilitate the CoE. “No such committee can be formed. You identify the problems and rectify them while taking officials in confidence. No surveillance committee should have been formed,” Ashok Goyal said. The VC later said he would act as per the sentiments of Syndicate. 

Technical panel to examine poor construction

The Syndicate authorised the VC to constitute a technical committee to identify the lapses in the construction quality of PU buildings like UIAMS, international hostel, Dental Institute, science blocks (BMS-I and II), South campus, College Bhawan and Guru Tegh Bahadur Bhawan.and resolved to involve the department concerned in the supervision work in future.