A decision by Delhi University (DU) to enquire into the functioning of 28 colleges which are funded by the Delhi government has caused outrage among the chairpersons of these institutions.
The executive council of DU last month set up a committee to study the governance issues in these colleges. The decision was taken based on a letter by the DU principals’ association which complained against the chairpersons of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) College and Swami Shradhanand College.
The governing bodies of both the colleges have set up separate fact-finding committees at the instance of their chairpersons to study alleged irregularities. In the case of DDU College, the principal has transferred funds from the students’ society fund to the maintenance account for the release of salary and other expenses as the Delhi government delayed the release of funds.
The governing body considered it an unauthorised transfer and set up a panel. Similarly, in Swami Shradhanand College, the governing body set up a committee to study the non-implementation of reservation policy in faculty recruitment.
The principals’ association in its letter said such actions weaken the principals. The principals demanded the committee be disbanded. The matter was brought to the EC meeting which has set up a fact-finding committee to examine the functioning issues of all 28 colleges.
“The action of EC is unwarranted. The issue between principals and chairpersons is an internal matter of colleges. The DU authorities should not interfere in these affairs. The problem is there in a few colleges. There is no reason for enquiring the functioning aspects of all 28 colleges,” said Anil Saini, chairperson of Acharya Narendra Dev College.The chairpersons on Thursday wrote a letter to DU vice-chancellor Prof Yogesh Singh to protest the EC decision.“Listing the agenda item in EC about the functioning of a statutory body i.e. GBs is an encroachment of its autonomous jurisdiction and is not in consonance with the federal character of DU,” the letter said.
It alleged that the principals’ association has made frivolous and politically motivated allegations.
