The Times of India:Sunday, January 15, 2012.
GAYA: With the selection committee member Shiv Jatan Thakur threatening to recommend vigilance probe and approach the Supreme Court against the alleged manipulation to favour the 'chosen few' at the cost of 'meritorious' aspirants, the jinxed appointment of Magadh University (MU) principals is once again haunted by the much dreaded vigilance ghost.
Twenty seven principals were appointed in MU in 2008 against only 22 advertised posts. The appointments were subsequently quashed by Patna High Court on the ground of irregularities and the Supreme Court upheld the order of the Patna High Court. The Court directed the MU authorities to hold fresh interview of the aspirants and accordingly prepare the merit list. The Patna High Court wanted to interview the result to be published within two weeks of the completion of the interview process. The interview ended on October 16, 2011, but no appointments have so far been made.
In a protest letter addressed to the MU officiating VC, Arun Kumar, the selection committee member has objected to the inclusion of five applicants (a copy of the letter is available with the TOI) in the yet to be published merit list. Whereas the inclusion of the first three in the merit list has been questioned on the ground of comparatively poor academic record in comparison to some better qualified candidates, objection to the inclusion of two applicants has been made on the ground of the duo being prima facie guilty of financial misconduct.
One of the candidates is alleged to have fraudulently manipulated TA bills to claim TA by car for attending a UGC meet in Kolkata while he actually travelled by train and railway documents obtained through RTI, form part of the evidence against him. The other allegedly tainted candidate has been charged with the violation of the provisions of the Bihar State Universities Act 1976 to gain undue monetary benefit.
In his protest letter dated January 9, 2012, Shiv Jatan Thakur said that "it is grossly unethical and travesty of justice to enhance the aggregate marks of the chosen few for extraneous considerations by awarding the highest marks to them (17) in interview at the expense of meritorious ones with lowest marks in interview 7 and 8." Asked about the allegations made by selection committee member Shiv Jatan Thakur, MU officiating VC Arun Kumar told TOI from Delhi that the proceedings of the selection committee were confidential and it would be unethical on his part to reveal anything to the media.
Signatures have their own sanctity and withdrawing signature after putting it on official documents reflects poorly on the decision making faculty of the person concerned, said the VC. Questioned about the publication of the interview result, the VC hoped that it will be out within one week. Merit alone will form the basis of appointment, said Kumar who is also the ex-officio chairman of the selection committee-cum-interview board.
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