A university here has filled key teaching positions in manner reminiscent to the Vyapam scam.
Barkatullah University filled 30 posts including those of professors and assistant professors through interviews which lasted no more than 60-100 seconds without any written test to judge candidates’ proficiency.
Some male candidates even gave interviews for posts reserved in women’s category. Around 700 candidates were interviewed in three days in September 2014.
Higher education department has written to Madhya Pradesh’s Raj Bhawan to take action against vice-chancellor MD Tiwari. Following this, Raj Bhawan has sought an explanation from the VC.
Last week, BU’s registrar Lonu Singh Solanki was suspended. TOI has a copy of letters written by higher education to Raj Bhawan. BU had advertised the vacancies in different departments in 2014.
In the letter, it was mentioned that candidates were interviewed hardly for one or two minutes. Citing bio-science department, it was stated in the letter that 170 candidates were interviewed in a single day.
Higher education department also stated that BU advertised vacancies and vice-chancellor deliberately tried to tamper with rules to benefit a particular group. The letter also says that candidates were invited for interviews without proper scrutiny.
“All 700 candidates who applied for different posts were invited for the interview. Even the few candidates interviewed for reserved category belonged to unreserved category,” stated the letter written to Raj Bhawan.
It was also claimed in the letter that BU authorities tampered with rules. “To give benefits to a select group of people, required work experience was made nine years instead of six years for various vacancies,” the letter stated.
It was also alleged the selection committee was formed without following proper rules and regulations. According to UGC rules, there should be at least one expert in concerned field in the committee for which candidates were interviewed.
“In several selection committees, this norm was not followed. In disciplines like limnology, the expert in the selection committee was from bio-technology. Similarly, for aquaculture, expert on the interview panel was from genetics,” said the letter.