A week after a controversy erupted in the University of Delhi over key appointments, its Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi has been placed under suspension by President Ram Nath Kovind. According to information shared with the media by the Union Ministry of Education on Wednesday, the President has allowed an inquiry against the vice chancellor who was accused of “misconduct” and “dereliction of duty” by the ministry, reported NDTV.

As a bizarre power struggle reached boiling point at the university, the education ministry intervened and requested the President to allow an inquiry against Yogesh Tyagi. The dispute rose over certain appointments made to senior posts in the university last week. The President of India is also the Visitor of the University, and has ordered an inquiry into the allegations of dereliction of duties and lack of commitment and devotion to duty against the VC, said the news report based on a government statement.

The ministry of education has written to the university registrar, intimating that the “vice chancellor was suspended till the inquiry is completed”. Professor PC Joshi will take charge as vice chancellor for now.

Orders issued by now-suspended DU VC Yogesh Tyagi during his period of absence on medical ground will be treated as null and void: Officials

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 28, 2020

According to multiple reports Professor Tyagi has been on leave since July 2, when he was admitted to Delhi’s AIIMS hospital for emergency treatment. In his absence, Professor PC Joshi was put in charge on July 17, and was to stay in office until Professor Tyagi rejoined work. However, last week, ProfessorTyagi removed Professor Joshi as pro-VC and appointed Geeta Bhatt, the director of the Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board of the university, in his place. A massive controversy erupted soon. 

NDTV reports that Professor Joshi had, meanwhile, notified the appointment of a new registrar, Vikas Gupta, whose  appointment was  cleared by the DU executive council. However, the same day, Professor Tyagi approved and notified the appointment of PC Jha as acting registrar and director of the South Campus.

It was then that the ministry of education stepped in as the power tussle between the Vice Chancellor and the pro-Vice Chancellor, came to the fore. According to the ministry any appointments made by Professor Tyagi were not “valid” as he is officially on leave. 

According to news reports, meanwhile Professor Jha wrote to the ministry as “acting registrar” and stated  that all decisions taken by Professor Tygai were in accordance with university norms. The ministry took objection to that letter too and  directed the university to take strict action against him, reported NDTV.

First time in the history of @UnivofDelhi the vice chancellor has been suspended by the president of India. His tenure was to end in March 2021!

— Shradha Chettri (@Shrads_chettri) October 28, 2020

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The tenure of Modi government so far has been devastating for higher education. 

On completion of three years of Modi government Newsclick bring you a series of interviews with various experts on different issues. In this part, Newsclick spoke with Abha Dev Habib, Professor at the University of Delhi and also a former member of Delhi University’s executive council. She makes three points about how the tenure of Modi government so far has been devastating for higher education. Firstly, this government is aggressively pushing the agenda of privatisation or commercialisation of higher education. Secondly, the government is attacking the autonomy of universities. Thirdly, the whole university system is under attack in the Modi rule. Abha also insists that the whole concept of ratings of universities is nothing but another push toward privatisation.

On completion of three years of Modi government Newsclick bring you a series of interviews with various experts on different issues. In this part, Newsclick spoke with Abha Dev Habib, Professor at the University of Delhi and also a former member of Delhi University’s executive council. She makes three points about how the tenure of Modi government so far has been devastating for higher education. Firstly, this government is aggressively pushing the agenda of privatisation or commercialisation of higher education. Secondly, the government is attacking the autonomy of universities. Thirdly, the whole university system is under attack in the Modi rule. Abha also insists that the whole concept of ratings of universities is nothing but another push toward privatisation.

This article was first published on newsclick.in.

The post Three Years of Modi: An Assault on Higher Education appeared first on SabrangIndia.