The Centre has ignored norms to nominate a Delhi University professor linked to the RSS as member of a selection committee for a vice-chancellor’s post, multiple academics have alleged.

The Union education ministry has appointed Sangit Ragi, who describes himself as an RSS vicharak (thinker) at TV debates, to a search-cum-selection committee for the post of Pondicherry University VC.

An order issued by the department of personnel and training on August 31, 2022, on the "Setting up of Search Committee/ Search cum Selection Committee Regarding" had said the members of these panels should be occupants of posts above the one for which they would be picking candidates.

Since there’s no academic post above a VC's, members of search panels for these posts are expected to be senior professors with experience of 10 years — the minimum required for an applicant for a VC’s post — or more, two Delhi University faculty members said. However, Ragi had been appointed a professor in 2015 and is therefore short of the 10-year norm, sources said.

They added that the panel had submitted its recommendations for Pondicherry University VC, which the education ministry would send to the President, the ex officio Visitor of the university, for her approval.

"Where serving officers of Central Government, PSEs (Public Sector Enterprises), Statutory/ Autonomous Bodies, Research Institution, University etc. are nominated as Members, they should be at least one level above the post to which appointment is being made," the DoPT’s August 2022 order had said.

The advertisement for the post of Pondicherry University VC said that an applicant "should be a distinguished academician with a minimum of ten years of experience as Professor in a university or ten years of experience in a reputed (sic) research and/ or academic administrative organisation with proof of having demonstrated academic leadership".

An email was sent to higher education secretary Sanjay Murthy, seeking his response to the charge of norm violation by his ministry. His response is awaited.

Ragi told this newspaper that the appointment of VCs to central universities is governed by the Act and statutes of the particular university and the UGC rules. These, he said, are silent on the qualification required of search panel members.