Govt sacks Garhwal University vice chancellor

The Centre has sacked Hemavati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University vice chancellor Jawahar Lal Kaul on charges of administrative irregularities.

This comes days after President Ram Nath Kovind approved the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry's recommendation for his removal from the post.

Kaul is the third Central University vice chancellor who has faced dismissal over charges of various irregularities under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime.

The government sacked Sushanta Dattagupta as vice chancellor of the Vishwa Bharati University in West Bengal last year after he was found guilty of indulging in various irregularities during his term.

Pondicherry University vice chancellor Chandra Krishnamurthy was, too, dismissed by the Centre on charges of plagiarism earlier this year.

Kaul was made vice chancellor of the Garhwal University in November 2014 when Union Minister Smriti Irani was at the helm of affairs of the HRD ministry.

He was accused of granting permission to several affiliated colleges to increase their intake to 200 in some of their courses in violation of the prescribed cap of 60 seats for those programmes.

Kaul was also accused of lowering affiliation fee for the colleges from that which is prescribed by the rules.

A fact-finding committee, set up by the government to probe into the charges, found Kaul guilty of them.

On the basis of the report of the committee, the HRD ministry forwarded the file to the President's office, recommending sacking of Kaul from the post of Garhwal University vice chancellor.

A probe was initiated into the accusations against Kaul on the recommendation of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). The CVC had received complaints against Kaul last year.

Kaul resigned from the post on December 18 following the President's approval to his sacking.

The HRD ministry, however, issued an order for the vice chancellor's dismissal from the post, instead of accepting his resignation.