With Vice-Chancellor of Viswa-Bharati Shantiniketan Prof Sushanta Datta Gupta embroiled in a slew of controversies, the HRD Ministry has cleared the decks for the appointment of a pro-V-C at the university, a move seen to clip the wings of the incumbent V-C.
While sources said that the Datta Gupta is likely to proceed on leave at the backdrop of several enquiries pending against him at the HRD Ministry and vigilance levels, Prof Chakradhar Tripathi will now be the interim V-C designated as the pro-V-C of Viswa-Bharati.
Tripathi’s name has been cleared and sent for approval to the Visitor (president). A Hindi teacher specialising in Medieval and Modern Hindi poetry at the university, Tripathi had called on HRD Minister Smriti Irani last week.
While the HRD Ministry is already enquiring into several complaints against the V-C including his alleged misappropriation of funds, vigilance enquiries are also pending against him at the Central Vigilance Commission. Besides several other complaints of irregularities in appointments matters, Datta Gupta has also been accused of claiming pensions as a pensioner from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Datta Gupta was found guilty of sexual harassment of a woman colleague in 2005 by a Ministerial Committee set up by the Centre. He was asked to step down immediately.
Thereafter, he allegedly harassed another woman employee in the university who is working as a museum guide. The employee concerned made a complaint to the National and State Women’s Commission and the matter is also under investigation.
The UPA Government had also selected him for a Padma award but his name came under controversy after the National Commission for Women (NCW) had written to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking the decision to be overturned.
NCW alleged Datta Gupta was found guilty of sexual harassment by a ministerial committee set up by the minister of science and technology in 2005. The Centre did not go ahead with conferring the award to him as a result.