A Delhi University professor marched into campus with a letter “appointing” him acting registrar hours before the executive council was to approve the official pick for regular registrar, triggering an embarrassing power struggle that many teachers said was bringing the “institution of eminence” into disrepute.

P.C. Jha, who had come and occupied the registrar’s chamber at 9am, was still there at 10.30pm despite an afternoon resolution by the executive council terming his appointment illegal and asking him to leave.

Members of the council, whose meeting too was continuing, unanimously blamed the “mess” on vice-chancellor Yogesh K. Tyagi who has been absent from the campus for more than a month now, apparently because of illness.

The appointment letter, issued by joint registrar (non-teaching) C.P. Raghav, claimed the approval of the “competent authority”. It appointed Jha as acting registrar as well as acting director of the South Campus.

According to the Delhi University (DU) Act, the executive council alone can appoint either official: the vice-chancellor, who heads council, cannot do so by himself.

Executive council member J.L. Gupta termed Tyagi’s actions arbitrary and unconstitutional. “What he has done has brought disrepute to the prestigious university,” Gupta said.

Rajib Ray, president of the university teachers’ association, said: “Professor Yogesh Tyagi should take responsibility or else allow the university to be governed by other officials as mandated by the DU Act. The university cannot be pushed into further mess.”

In Tyagi’s absence, acting pro-vice-chancellor P.C. Joshi has been doubling as acting vice-chancellor, and Suman Kundu as acting registrar and acting director of the South Campus.

Joshi had begun the process of appointing a regular registrar and a regular finance officer. The selections were over and Wednesday’s executive council meeting, scheduled from 11am, was to discuss and approve the two successful candidates. But Tyagi and Jha pre-empted the council.

“The council resolved that Prof Suman Kundu, department of biochemistry, will act as director, South Campus, and will also act as acting registrar till the permanent/ new(ly) appointed registrar joins the duty,” a resolution passed by the council said.

Around 10pm, the council approved the new selections —Vikash Gupta as regular registrar and Girish Ranjan as regular finance officer. A formal order will be issued soon, two council members said.

Delhi University has been granted the status of “institution of eminence” (IoE) by the education ministry on the strength of the quality of its teaching and research.
Inder Mohan Kapahi, a retired DU professor and till recently a member of the University Grants Commission, said he had never seen such “degradation in the moral fabric of the university” and demanded government intervention.

“The occupation of the high office of registrar, when the EC (executive council) was to approve the recommendation of the selection committee for registrar, reminds (one) of illegal occupation of land by professional goons,” he wrote on Facebook.

“One sincerely hopes the DU, a university with IoE tag, shall be spared such dishonour. The education minister of India and the Visitor (President of India) should take immediate remedial action.”