DUTA Press Release, 12.11.2014

DUTA’s novel Whistleblowers’ March vociferously demands immediate Government Action for Removal of Corrupt VC

BJP MP Udit Raj addressing the gathering

DUTA’s ‘Whistleblowers’ March’ weaved its way through the Delhi University Campus to culminate in a massive human chain and ‘chakka jam’ at the Ramjas College intersection today. Large numbers of teachers, students and karamcharis came together under the DUTA’s banner to demand immediate action against the DU Vice Chancellor who has been found guilty of diverting over 100 crore rupees from the OBC Expansion Grant towards the FYUP laptops which are lying unused in colleges now. Besides this, the DUTA has submitted a detailed White Paper to the Government, against severe financial and administrative irregularities committed by the VC and his team of officials. However, the Government has been dragging its feet regarding the Report submitted by the UGC’s Satyam Committee. Neither has it responded yet to the DUTA’s demand for a Visitorial Inquiry against the VC.

AAP leader Anand Kumar addressing the gathering

MPs and representatives of national political parties like BJP, AAP and CPIM also joined the DUTA in solidarity with its demand for the VC’s removal. While BJP MP Udit Raj slammed the VC for continuing to cynically manipulate circumstances in his own favour by conducting a cosmetic Cleanliness Campaign, he appealed to the Government to initiate prompt action against the VC for his proven misdeeds, including the illegal and substandard FYUP and the dubious appointments being made in violation of norms and regulations. AAP national executive leader Anand Kumar accused the VC of injecting the virus of corruption into higher education. He said that the corrupt nexus between the DU VC and current UGC Chairman Ved Prakash has set higher education in India back by many years. He also appealed to the Government to remove VC Dinesh Singh at the earliest and ensure just punishment to him in national interest.

Sitaram Yechury (Politburo leader of CPIM) had a meeting with the President of India and Visitor to DU, Sh. Pranab Mukherjee, in order to apprise him of the prevailing situation in DU and the DUTA’s White Paper. He presented a copy of the White Paper on behalf of DUTA and conveyed the DUTA’s demand for a Visitorial Inquiry against the VC. Veteran leader of the JP Movement and President of the Lok Chetna Manch, Sh. Mithilesh Kumar Singh, came from Patna and joined the DUTA in this protest. Mithilesh Kumar Singh also accused the DU VC of manipulating the police and civic administration to shield corrupt principals like S. P. Gupta (Kirori Mal College) who have served as his loyalists.

It must be noted that the Court Judgment in the University-maintained KM College Case involving major financial embezzlement in the conduct of the UGC-NET Exam has upheld the demand for comprehensive investigations against principal S. P. Gupta, former-chairman Baleshwar Rai and senior officials of DU and UGC who have aided and abetted the corruption.

This list of corrupt principals also includes G. K. Arora (B. R. Ambedkar College), S. K. Kundra (Swami Shraddhanand College) and Rajendra Prasad (Ramjas College).

Hundreds of plastic whistles were noisily blown by the protesters in symbolic enactment of whistleblowing to clean the University of Corruption and restore democratic spaces.

While teachers have been denied regular appointments, pensions, promotions and the proper benefits of the Government’s Reservation Policy, students are still reeling under the lack of infrastructure, withdrawal of Revaluation facility, ‘Special Chance’, an unfair Pass criteria and the disparity created by the Semester System. Salaries for teachers appointed under the OBC Expansion scheme are delayed for months or not paid by colleges and more posts are not being sanctioned, despite increased students-intake because of the callous funds-diversion committed by the VC. Similar diversions and unauthorized expenses have also been incurred in running the Gyanodaya Express and the ostentatious Antardhwani festival.

The DUTA appeals to the Government to recognize the sense of urgency in the University’s employees and students who have been suffering at every step since the day that Dinesh Singh took over as VC and unleashed an anti-teacher and anti-student form of governance by fiat and diktat in Delhi University. Unless he is removed and his messy decisions are reversed at the earliest, DU will continue to deteriorate.    

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