Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena has directed for immediate removal of Professor Ramesh K Goyal as the Vice Chancellor of the Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU) on account of glaring irregularities and illegalities, indicating a large scale recruitment scam found against him by an inquiry committee.

Giving details here on Saturday, officials said the inquiry committee probed the recruitment process of teaching faculties conducted by the University in 2017 and 2019, when Goyal was at the helm of affairs.

The LG, who is the Chancellor of the University, also gave his nod for asking the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)for referring the case for investigation by an external investigating agency, and filing of FIR against Goyal and 06other officers.

They were named in the report of the three-member inquiry committee, for their alleged involvement in the scam in which culpability of many private institutions, whose certificates were used for recruitment, has been found.

Besides Goyal, probe by an external agency has also been recommended against 06 others, that includes External Expert Govind Mohan.

The LG took note of the report of the Inquiry Committee dated 13.10.2023, which had looked into the matter on the basis of several complaints and concluded that major “irregularities,” “illegalities” and “favouritism” were observed in the recruitment of teaching faculties in DPSRU in year 2017 and 2019.

The Committee has also observed that, Professor Goyal, who was at the helm of affairs during the scam, furnished his reply to the show cause notice on 02.01.2024, by “selectively” providing his version and not providing any answer to the major irregularities mentioned in the report, and tried to subside the matter of irregularities pointed out by the Administration Branch of the University.

Further, the Vice-Chancellor submitted “baseless”, “manipulated”, and “misleading” replies and resorted to shifting the responsibility related to the irregularities and tampering with the recruitment records, on all and sundry.

In the process, Goyal, violated the very basic premise and principle that as Vice Chancellor, he was the custodian of all that goes on in the University, least to say something as important as recruitment of faculty, that lies at the very base of the existence of any University.

The LG noted that “This certainly does not absolve Goyal from the fact that he failed in his duties as the Vice Chancellor of the University, that entailed his overall supervision and responsibility in ensuring a fair recruitment process in the University, as per extant rules and guidelines.”

The LG said after careful consideration of the Inquiry Report, reply of Goyal, as well as the observations of the Directorate of Training and Technical Education, GNCTD thereon, and facts and circumstances of the case, he was satisfied that there is sufficient material available on the record to establish that Vice Chancellor, DPSRU has failed to discharge his duty as Vice-Chancellor of the University.

“And therefore, in exercise of powers under Clause 4(2) of the Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University- Delhi Statutes, 2017 read with section 16 of the General Clauses Act, 1897, I order that Prof. Ramesh K. Goyal, Vice Chancellor, DPSRU be removed from the post of Vice Chancellor, DPSRU immediately, for large scale irregularities and illegalities in the recruitment process in the University in violation of the rules and established norms, lack of supervision and control over the affairs of the University and for his failure to perform his duties as the Vice Chancellor of the University as mandated under the law,” Saxena stated in the file.

Saxena also approved the proposal of the Directorate of Training and Technical Education, GNCTD for placing before the Board of Governors, DPSRU for removing Professor Harvinder Popli, who is holding the charge of Registrar in the University.

The LG also paved the path for issuing directions to the Directorate of Vigilance to examine the possibility of disciplinary action against R P Sharma, Consultant (Recruitment) in terms of rule 7 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 for “grave misconduct” and for immediate removal if he is still continuing in his post.

The LG accepted the recommendations of the Department for initiating suitable disciplinary action for consideration of removal/dismissal of the illegally appointed faculties whose names have been mentioned in the inquiry report after following due process of law and for removal of such officers/officials, whose probation has not been cleared.

Further, Saxena has given go ahead for initiating disciplinary proceedings against 17 illegally selected faculties who were appointed as Professors, Assistant Professors and Associate Professors.

The inquiry report has mentioned the names of Harvinder Popli, Jaseela Majeed, Rajiv Tonk, Sushma Talegaonkar, Ajit Thakur, Mahavir Dhobi, Shilpa Jain, Geeta Agarwal, Ajay Sharma, Richa Hirendra Rai, Madhu Gupta, Sheetal Yadav, Suraj Pal, Punita Ajmera, Meenakshi Garg, Kusuma Praveen Kumar and Sachin Kumar.