Eyebrows raised as VC's wife appears in interview at central university

Tribune News Service

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, October 20

Dr Sunita Srivastava, wife of Prof Tankeshwar Kumar, Vice-Chancellor (VC), Central University of Haryana (CUH), Mahendragarh, was one of the applicants who appeared in the interview held in Gurugram yesterday for the post of Professor at the department of physics and astrophysics in the CUH.

Against natural justice

It is against natural justice of law if a close relative of the head of any university appears in interview to get any key post. Dr KPS Mahalwar, Retd Professor, Law Dept, MDU, Rohtak & Ex-member, Academic Council, CUH

Everyone has right to apply

I was not part of the selection process. Everyone has the right to apply for any post, hence nothing is wrong in it. The entire process was carried out in a transparent manner. Prof Tankeswar Kumar, VC, CUH

Eyebrows are being raised over the development, with noted academician Dr KPS Mahalwar, a retired professor from the law department at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) Rohtak and former member of the academic council of the CUH, describing it as “a case of conflict of interest”.

“It is also against natural justice of law if a close relative of the head of any university appears in the interview to get any key post, the possibility of the influence of the head on the members of the selection committee cannot be denied. This is the law of the land laid down by the courts,” said Mahalwar, who has also been associated with several national law universities of the country in their decision-making bodies like academic and general council.

Sources said Dr Hoshiar Singh Moond, assistant professor at KR College in Gopalganj (Bihar), had also filed a complaint to the Union Education Minister before the interview, claiming that since the VC’s wife was also one of the candidates, hence the interview was merely an eye-wash. “Dr Sunita was going to retire from Panjab University, Chandigarh, on October 31 on attaining the age of 60,” he added.

Dr Moond said he had applied for the post of associate professor (physics) but his application was rejected.

Notably, Dr Sunita also worked in the CUH on deputation for around a year. Sunil Gupta, Registrar, CUH, said her deputation period had ended recently.

Dr Sushma Yadav, Pro-Vice Chancellor, CUH, told The Tribune that she had chaired the interview for the post of Professor and Dr Sunita also attended the interview.

Meanwhile, VC Prof Tankeswar Kumar said he was not part of the selection process. Everyone had the right to apply for any post, hence nothing was wrong in it. The entire process was carried out in a transparent manner, he claimed.

“My wife had applied for the post not only this year, but also earlier in the CUH. She is already a professor in Panjab University and had also applied for the post in other central universities,” he added. A higher official in the state government said, "The wife or any other relative of the VC can appear in the interview for the job in the same university if the VC is not part of the selection committee."

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