Letter to Visitor, 19.8.2014

19 August 2014

Sub: Appeal to set up enquiry into serious charges
against DU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dinesh Singh

We seek your urgent intervention to institute an enquiry into the gross abuse of power by Prof. Dinesh Singh during his tenure as Vice-Chancellor. The imposition of the academically disastrous FYUP was one major manifestation of this abuse of power. Its rollback has brought great relief to students and teachers but it has not ended the regime that made such harmful and illegal decisions possible. We have drawn your attention in the past to the tyrannical manner of functioning of the Vice-Chancellor. Even now he shows no sign of wanting to mend his ways. His recent actions demonstrate his vindictive attitude towards students and teachers. Unless his tyrannical regime is ended, normalcy cannot be restored in Delhi University.

The DUTA has prepared a white paper on the Vice-Chancellor with documents that demonstrate to what extent such an autocratic approach to decision-making can go. Rampant violations of statutory provisions including provisions of the Delhi University Act, 1922, deliberately keeping thousands of teaching posts vacant, violation of the Reservation Policy in teaching posts, gross financial irregularities, misuse of Emergency Powers, misleading Parliament, the Court and NAAC, the Vice-Chancellor is guilty on all these counts and many more. Threats, harassment and victimisation have been systematically used to silence any questioning of his actions.

The DUTA has been a particular target of Prof. Dinesh Singh’s tyrannical regime. This is highly unfortunate since he has personally benefited from its history of collective struggles for teachers’ rights and dignity. Prof. Singh has resorted to the most base means to obstruct its activities. He has not only refused to meet the DUTA but also misused his authority to deny space for any DUTA activity.  It is shameful that in a university in a democratic country, the teachers’ association had to hold its General Body meeting on the road outside the University premises.

The attitude of the Vice-Chancellor has been similarly obstructive and disdainful in regard to the DUSU and the DUCKU.

We are submitting the white paper for your attention. It includes several aspects of the illegalities and misgovernance during the tenure of Prof. Dinesh Singh, but certainly not all. Access to information has been restricted and often denied even in response to RTIs. We fear that further evidence of misdeeds may be removed or destroyed while Prof. Singh continues in office. We therefore request you to take urgent action to set up an inquiry and to ensure that Prof. Dinesh Singh does not continue in office pending such enquiry. We would be grateful if you could give us time to meet you at the earliest so that we could explain the issues to you in detail.