The Centre has trained its guns on IIT-Kharagpur chairman Shiv Nadar — the HCl founder — who is facing allegations of ‘conflict of interest’. On the other hand, there is an increasing demand, especially from ex-IITians, for appointment of a tainted professor as institute director.
The PMO and HRD Ministry have sought “specific comments” from IIT-Kgp on allegations against Nadar. It assumes significance as it comes just ahead of Union HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju’s visit to the institute for its convocation on Saturday and amid ‘pressure’ from various quarters — including a section of the corporate sector — to appoint Prof PP Chakraborty as director. Chakraborty has been indicted in the CoalNet Scam by the CBI and CVC. Sources said IIT-Kgp has been asked about Nadar’s business interests with the institute for over decades and his firm’s association with Kota-based IIT Coaching Centre, Resonance.
The Ministry has also reminded about the reply status on CVC and Central Information Commission’s clarification over the controversy in May. The Pioneer had, on May 13, first reported Nadar’s alleged Rs nexus’ with IIT and how his software company is being benefited due to his position. Nadar was nominated chairman of the board of governors by the then Visitor, President Pratibha Patil. The Centre has taken cognizance of the complaint, which highlights the emerging nexus amongst HCl business tycoons and ‘tainted’ academic administrators.
“HCl has been working with IIT-Kharagpur for profits for decades and supplying computers, networking and accessories. Shiv Nadar is also running institutes and a university, besides his company’s association with an IIT-JEE coaching institute at Kota in Rajasthan,” noted the professors’ complaint to the Visitor, CVC, PMO and HRD Ministry. The complainant also pointed that Nadar has been allegedly shielding CBI-indicted IIT dons — former Registrar Dr Gunasekaran, Prof AK Bhowmick, IIT-Patna director and Professor PP Chakraborty, who is director-select of the institute. The CVC had, in February this year, directed the HRD Ministry and IIT-Kgp for penalising Bhowmick and Chakraborty. But the Nadar-chaired board exonerated Chakraborty from all charges in order to facilitate his appointment as director.