Journalism of Courage
In a scathing indictment of the current vice-chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the Union Human Resource Development Ministry, a Parliamentary Standing Committee report Tuesday recommended that an independent authority be set up to probe “inappropriate measures” taken at India’s largest open varsity.
The parliamentary panel has called for an inquiry into the appointment of the current V-C, his powers and decisions taken by him, besides the controversial issue of closure of community colleges. The panel also said it appeared the V-C and the ministry had a “vested interest”.
“The inquiry committee so appointed should examine the issues which may inter alia include appointment of acting V-C, powers of acting V-C vis-a-vis regular V-C, decisions taken by the acting V-C on crucial policies/schemes of the university, dissolution of the Distance Education Council, discontinuation of the Community Colleges Scheme, not implementing fully the recommendations of the Madhav Menon Committee, the High Powered Committee and the Review Committee on community colleges; ignoring the High Court directives with regard to community colleges and not protecting the interest of students,” the committee said in its report, submitted to the Rajya Sabha chairman Tuesday.
The report pointed a finger at the process of appointment of present V-C Prof M Aslam and the role of the HRD ministry, saying it was not as per the statutes of IGNOU, which said the senior-most pro-V-C was to be made V-C. “Prof Aslam was not the senior-most Pro-V-C at that time… The committee is particularly disturbed by the role played by the department in the entire affair. It seems both the department and the acting V-C, who apparently had a vested interest, were together in misleading the High Court. The process of distorting facts continues even now when persistent queries from the committee have elicited denial from both the V-C and the secretary, Higher Education,” the report said.
Aslam said he had not seen the report, but added, “I am 120 per cent honest and sincere. I know I have done the right thing for the institution and there is no question of my being with the ministry.”
The committee also said it found it “highly disturbing” that the Board of Management tried to enforce the decision to discontinue the Community Colleges Scheme in an arbitrary manner. It also questioned how the V-C could ignore all court verdicts favouring community colleges.
