Deccan Herald: New Delhi: Wednesday, 30 April 2014.
The Delhi
University bought 62,600 laptops for students of the four-year undergraduate
programme from OBC grants, revealed queries filed under the Right to
Information Act.
The
revelation has triggered a call for independent probe and protests by teachers’
and student groups.
The
university administration, however, said that these grants come under the “OBC
expansion funds”, which are provided by the government for meeting the
requirements of the expanded intake of students.
A DUSU
office-bearer and an Academic Council member from the Democratic Teachers’
Front (DTF), Amitav Chakraborty, had filed separate RTIs asking for information
on the ‘budget head’, under which the university bought laptops for students.
“Purchases were
made under the budget head ‘OBC Grant for University Departments’ and ‘OBC
Grant for Colleges’,” the university had said in the RTI reply. These grants
came to the university in 2008 for expansion of physical infrastructure in
colleges and departments to cater to the increased student intake following the
OBC reservation, said DTF in a press statement.
Infrastructure;
Construction
of IT-enabled large-sized classrooms, extra science laboratories and lab
equipment, computer labs, furniture and faculty rooms – all these were supposed
to be accomplished as part of the required infrastructure through the OBC
grants, said DTF, arguing that the university colleges and departments lack
these physical infrastructures.
The maximum
retail price of each laptop given to the four-year undergraduate student was Rs
27,565.50.
Refuting
allegations of diverting funds, the university registrar Alka Sharma said that
Delhi University has constantly used the OBC expansion fund for the past three
years to upgrade teaching facilties and for building infrastructure.
She said that
the university has seen 150 per cent increase in student intake since 2008.
“The laptops
are the property of the colleges concerned and are meant for students of all
catergories,” the university said, explaining that the laptops are educational
resources meant to support ugraded IT infrastructure.
The “OBC
expansion fund” is meant for boosting the overall infrastructure to facilitate
more intakes, said Sharma. She also claimed that the CAG audit in 2012-13
didn’t find a single accounting error.
However,
alleging non-transparency, DTF said, “The Executive Council had met to approve
the accounts for the last financial year but its members were not even informed
about the specifics when EC member Abha Dev Habib had enquired about them.”
Independent
probe;
DTF has
demanded an independent probe, claiming that diversion of OBC grants is a
violation of the government’s directive.
The Delhi
University Students’ Union has also joined the fray and has threatened to
protest against alleged misappropriation of funds.
The purchase
of laptops is an authorised and legitimate expenditure under the rules and
regulations governing the use of OBC expenditure funds, said the university.
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