The Centre has allowed a retired professor to continue as director-in-charge of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata at a time a similar rule violation at IIT Guwahati, another Institution of National Importance, has earned it embarrassment in court.
Prasanta K. Panigrahi, appointed director-in-charge of IISER Kolkata when the director’s post fell vacant in October last year, retired as professor in mid-2023. But he continues as director-in-charge against certain emoluments, sources said.
This runs counter to the statutes of the institution, which say the senior-most professor should be given charge if the regular director’s post falls vacant.
“In the event of a vacancy arising in the post of director of an IISER on account of completion of his/ her tenure, resignation or death, the central government with approval of the Visitor may either extend the term of the incumbent director, if he is willing, or entrust the charge of the post of director to the senior-most willing professor, clear from vigilance angle, for a period not exceeding six months at a time or till the appointment of the regular director or till further orders, whichever is the earliest,” the IISER statutes say.
After previous director Sourav Pal completed his tenure 13 months ago, the Union education ministry had followed the letter of the law and appointed Panigrahi — then the senior-most professor — as director-in-charge with the approval of the Visitor, the President of India.
Around the same time, the posts of director fell vacant also at the IISERs in Pune, Bhopal, Berhampur (Odisha) and Tirupati. The government has appointed regular directors to all these four institutes, with IISER Kolkata the lone exception.
Two academics, one from IIT Guwahati and another from IISER Bhopal, said that after Panigrahi’s retirement the education ministry should have given the responsibility of director to the senior-most serving professor.
“It’s a complete violation of rules that Panigrahi, a retired professor, should continue as director-in-charge. It shows inefficiency on the part of the government,” the IISER Bhopal faculty member said.
He expressed shock that IISER Kolkata had been without a regular director for over a year.
A government official said the education ministry had issued a proper order when Panigrahi was appointed director-in-charge in October 2022. However, around the time of his retirement, the ministry merely issued an email -- and not an order -- saying he would continue to discharge the responsibilities of director, he added.
An email was sent on November 1 to IISER Kolkata registrar Joydeep Sil, with a copy to the director’s email address, seeking the institute’s perspective on Panigrahi’s continuation as director-in-charge even after his retirement. A separate email has been sent to higher education secretary Sanjay Murthy seeking the government’s comments on the irregularity.
Their responses are awaited.
The IIT Guwahati faculty member who spoke to this newspaper cited a recent Gauhati High Court judgment that set aside the appointment of a director-in-charge at IIT Guwahati as “illegal”.
The director’s post at the IIT had fallen vacant after T.G. Sitharam resigned last year. P.K. Iyer was appointed director-in-charge with the education ministry’s approval although he was not the senior-most professor.
The single-judge bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi on Thursday directed the IIT authorities to appoint a new officiating director in keeping with the laid-down norms.
Last updated on 05 Nov 2023
