Human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar has kept on hold a move by a private deemed university to appoint as chancellor his junior in the ministry, Satya Pal Singh, who is famous for his claim that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is “scientifically wrong”.

Javadekar has for nearly a month been sitting on a file on an offer from the Haridwar-based Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya (GKV) after legal opinion indicated a possible conflict of interest if Singh, the minister of state for human resource development, took up the position, two senior ministry officials said.

“The matter had been referred to the law ministry. The law ministry said it was not a case of office of profit but it could be an issue of conflict of interest,” one of the officials said.

Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the chancellor of Visva-Bharati and Javadekar is the chancellor of the Delhi-based Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Singh’s appointment would have been the first of its kind since GKV is a privately managed deemed university.

GKV, fully funded by the government through the University Grants Commission, is managed by the Arya Samaj.

Several academics have disapproved of GKV’s offer saying it could lead to a conflict of interest as the position of chancellor might influence the minister’s decision on education policies.

The chancellor of a university presides over convocations and can hold meetings on the functioning and progress of the institution.

Singh was offered the position two months ago following a selection process that nominated his name. “We have not received any communication from the government on the appointment of the chancellor,” Pankaj Kaushik, spokesperson for the university, said.

“If he does not join, the process of appointment will start afresh.”