(MOREPIC1)(MOREPIC2)Face2News/Chandigarh
The selection of Dr. Rajeev Sood as Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot was made on the basis of recommendations made by the Search-Cum-Selection Committee, which was deliberately constituted in violation of UGC Regulations, says RTI activist Advocate H.C.Arora.
Further, the Principal Secretary to Governments of Punjab, Department of Finance (Ajoy Kumar Sinha, IAS), and Principal Secretary to The Government of Punjab, Department of Health and Family Welfare (Vivek Pratap Singh, IAS) who participated in the meeting of Search-cum-Selection Committee, were not nominated to the said Search and Selection Committee by the Government.
The information received by Advocate H.C. Arora, under the Right to Information Act vide letter dated 26.06.2023, from the Public Information Officer-cum-Superintendent, Medical Education and Research Department, Punjab, clearly shows that the Government knowingly violated the UGC Regulations of 2018.
The noting sheets and decision clearly show that in view of the objection raised by the Governor, Punjab, it was decided by the Government to send 3 names through Selection Committee for appointment of Vice Chancellor as per UGC Guidelines. However, as noticed in the noting sheet, as per UGC Regulations, the members of Search-Cum-Selection Committee shall be persons of eminence in the sphere of higher education, and shall not be connected in any manner with the University concerned or its colleges.
However, the constitution of Search-Cum-Selection Committee shows that following three persons/officials (out of total six members of the said Committee), who are members of the Board of Management of Baba Farid University, Faridkot, were also made the members of the Search-Cum-Selection Committee: Chief Secretary, Punjab Chairman, Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Medical Education and Research Members, Director, Research and Medical EducationMember.
It is to be noticed that (i) the Chief Secretary, Punjab; (ii) The Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Medical Education and Research; and (iii) The Security to Government of Punjab, Department of Finance; and (iv) The Director, Research and Medical Education, Chandigarh are Members of the Board of Management of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot.
Thus, they being directly connected with the affairs of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, could not have been made the members of Search-cum-Selection Committee. Thus, 3 out of the 6 members of the Search-cum-Selection Committee constituted by the Government were ineligible to participate in the meetings of the said Committee.
For that reason, the deliberations of the Search-cum-Selection Committee set up by the Punjab Government including its decision to recommend the names of 5 eligible persons for appointment as Vice Chancellor of the University clearly stood vitiated, and became illegal.
Further, the actual composition of the Search-cum-Selection Committee which eventually recommended the names of 5 candidates for appointment as Vice Chancellors of Baba Farid University, who had held a meeting for the said purpose on 04.05.2023, was different from what was constituted originally.
In the said meeting, apart from Vijay Kumar Jhanjua, Chief Secretary of Government of Punjab, Sh. Ajoy Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary, to Government of Punjab, Department of Finance; and Sh. Vivek Pratap Singh, IAS (Principal Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Health and Family Welfare), who are officers of the Punjab Government ,participated in the said meeting of the Search-cum-Selection Committee.(SUBHEAD)
Ajoy Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary to Government of Punjab, was not the member of the Search-cum-Selection Committee that was originally constituted. In any case, the Secretary to Department of Finance, Punjab is also a member of the Board of Management of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences. Thus, he was also eligible for becoming a member of Search-cum-Selection Committee. In addition, Vivek Pratap Singh, Principal Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Health and Family Welfare, was also not a member of Search-cum-Selection Committee as originally constituted, yet he also participated in its meeting held on 04.05.2023.
However, the Governor of Punjab, without considering as to whether the Search Committee was constituted in the manner envisaged under the UGC Regulations, so that the fairness and impartiality of the recommendations made by the Search-cum-Selection Committee may be maintained, appears to have overlooked this aspect of selection.
Instead, 3 officials of the Punjab Government, who were directly connected with the affairs of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot (being members of its Board of Management ) participated in the deliberations and were party to the recommendations made by Search-cum-Selection Committee for appointment of Vice Chancellor of the said University.
Advocate H.C. Arora, said, the appointment of Sh. Rajiv Sood, as Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot notified on 06.06.2023 is totally illegal. Advocate H.C. Arora intends to challenge the said appointment of Dr. Rajiv Sood by filing a writ of Quo Warranto in the near future.
