ROURKELA: The administrative crisis for the last 21 months over suspension of Registrar of National Institute of Technology - Rourkela (NIT-R) SK Upadhyay ended on Wednesday with the NIT-R administration reinstating Upadhyay with full functional power.
Talking to this paper, NIT-R spokesperson Prof KK Mohapatra said the suspension of Upadhyay was revoked by the institute administration led by Director Prof Animesh Biswas.
Prof Mohapatra claimed that the internal committee of NIT-R and two external panels, including one of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), gave ‘clean chit’ to Upadhyay leading to his reinstatement. Upadhyay has been given full functional responsibilities after withdrawal of the suspension order.
Sources said the then NIT-R Director Prof SK Sarangi on September 20, 2015 had suspended Upadhyay on charges of ‘gross insubordination and dereliction of duty’ and recommended an inquiry. With the maximum suspension period being three months as per norms, Prof Sarangi had reinstated Upadhyay as ‘Registrar without job’ in December, 2015. This status of Upadhyay continued for a year.
After assuming charge as the new Director, Prof Biswas shifted Upadhyay as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) on January 2 this year. After Upadhyay challenged the decision of making him OSD, the new Director on January 20 reinstated the former for an hour before immediately placing him under suspension again.
With the suspension period ending on March 20, Prof Biswas extended the suspension order for another three months. Contacted, Upadhyay refused to comment.