Norms violated in hiring of pharma university faculty
Source: TimesofIndia
NEW DELHI: An inquiry conducted by the directorate of vigilance found irregularities in recruitment of the faculty members in Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU) in 2017 and 2019.
Lieutenant governor VK Saxena has forwarded the report to the chief secretary to instruct the directorate of training and technical education to examine the report within 30 days and recommend specific action as per law against those found involved in violating the recruitment rules.
The vigilance inquiry observed that eligibility criteria had been violated in the recruitment process.
The directorate of training and technical education is the administrative department of the university.
Officials said the LG has also invoked rule 19(5) of the Transaction of Business of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Rules, 1993, which were amended in 2021, and asked the secretary of the directorate of training and technical education to place the original file on the matter for his perusal.
According to Raj Niwas officials, the directorate had received several complaints alleging large-scale irregularities committed in the recruitment conducted by DPSRU in 2019. The complaints especially pointed towards the selection of six candidates.
After obtaining relevant records from DPSRU, the department through its vigilance branch conducted an inquiry and submitted that “such large-scale irregularities in the appointment of faculty were not possible without the active connivance of the vice-chancellor, who acted as the chairman of the selection committee”.
The matter was referred to the directorate of vigilance. It also observed major irregularities in the recruitment process in 2017, which included the hiring of ineligible candidates with lesser experience, overage, and without the requisite educational qualifications. The directorate of vigilance said the recruitments had been done violating the eligibility criteria in 2019 too, which pointed to corrupt practices and favouritism.
“Also, post-appointment verification of educational qualifications and experience certificates was not done. No approval had been taken from the competent authority to relax the eligibility criteria by DPSRU,” said an official.
After taking approval from the LG in May this year, the directorate of vigilance had served a notice to the DPSRU vice-chancellor and sought his reply and records related to the recruitment of the faculty done by him. The records were subsequently examined by the directorate of training and technical education.
On June 28, a three-member committee comprising secretary vigilance, director (education) and the head of the biotechnology department of Delhi Technological University was set up to further investigate the matter.
“The inquiry committee observed that the selections contain manipulation, falsehoods, deficiencies and irregularities and indicted four persons including the VC of DPSRU, the then officiating registrar, an external expert and a consultant,” said an official.
