Close on the heel of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)’s recommendation for penalty proceedings against three IIT-Kharagpur professors involved in the CoalNet scam, another don of the institute is in deep trouble.
The very appointment of incumbent Registrar TK Ghoshal has come under the scanner of the HRD Ministry. The Central Information Commission (CIC) also criticised Ghoshal’s role in an RTI reply and stated that the IIT Registrar “failed to apply his mind”.
Recently, in an exclusive report, The Pioneer had reported that the country’s corruption watchdog has also sought factual details from the HRD Ministry pertaining to appointment of HCl founder Shiv Nadar as the Chairman of IIT-KGP and his firm’s financial deals with the institute.
Ghoshal was earlier taken to task by the CVC and the HRD Ministry for swearing in an affidavit in the Delhi High Court that the IIT does not fall within the purview of CVC. The affidavit was withdrawn later following cognisance by CVC of a news report in The Pioneer.
HRD Ministry sources said that they are now examining the complaints regarding Ghoshal’s appointment as Registrar bypassing the minimal qualifications criteria and pending CVC references against him. “We have found some discrepancy in the Recruitment Rules. We are not satisfied by the IIT’s response on his appointment and his case file is being redone,” HRD sources said.
According to the case details, Ghoshal does not possess the minimum 55 per cent marks in both his distance education post-graduate degrees, which is the minimum educational qualification, as per the advertisement by IIT in August 2012.
When asked for comments on the controversy regarding his appointment, Ghoshal said he meets all rules and regulations set by the UGC as well as the institute. “let the HRD Ministry examine whatever it may like to do. I am eligible so am here,” Ghoshal told The Pioneer over phone.
There are many pending CVC cases and also a CBI case for his alleged involvement in issuing IIT employee’s Identity card to the main kingpin of a fake institute for his access to the prestigious Kharagpur institute. Recently, Ghoshal also got into trouble for alleged acquiring of call details from BSNl in the midst of cases against the institute at various platforms — including the Supreme Court.
“This is not the first time that Ghoshal has been taken to task by the CIC. He was penalised in May 2010 to the tune of `15,000; was show-caused the following year in which he did get any relief from the Calcutta High Court. Now the Commission has said that Ghosal, failed to apply his mind to (an) appeal,” CIC sources said.
In its order dated May 31, 2013, the CIC said, “Commission is not satisfied with the manner in which the PIO has responded to the queries raised by the appellant in his RTI. The information sought was straightforward and a complete response should have been provided in the first instance”.
An RTI applicant in February 2012 sought information regarding status of CBI investigations and penalty proceedings as recommended by CBI and CVC against (former) IIT-Kharagpur Director Prof Damodar Acharya in AICTE Scam, IIT-Patna Director Prof. Anil Bhowmick, IIT-KGP Dean and Director-Select Prof PP Chakrbarti in the CoalNet scam and other dons. The PIO refused details by stating “information sought for is not available with the institute”.
