COIMBATORE: It was not the just-suspended Bharathiar University (BU) Vice-Chancellor Dr A Ganapathi who found himself on the wrong side of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC). His predecessor C Swaminathan too had been under its glare since 2011.
In November last, the DVAC filed a First Information Report (FIR) against him and the then Registrar, P Thirumalvalavan.
During Swaminathan’s tenure as BU Vice Chancellor, the Higher Education Department had asked the DVAC to conduct preliminary inquiries into four charges against him: (a) improper transfer of university funds; (b) outsourcing the conduct of the State Eligibility Test; (c) irregularities regarding School of Distance Education funds; and (d) appointment of faculty positions overlooking eligible candidates.
While clearing him of the first three charges, the DVAC found prima facie evidence of irregularities on the last charge and filed the FIR after getting government permission.
The FIR filed on November 14, 2017 lists charges under IPC sections 167, 465, 468 and 471 and Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Swaminathan and Thirumalvalavan.
As Vice Chancellor, Swaminathan had initiated a recruitment process in 2010-11 to appoint faculty members in regular posts as well as under a XIth Plan scheme. The selection for the regular posts was stayed after the BU SC/ST Teachers and Staff Welfare Association approached court saying that rules of reservation were flouted.
But the BU proceeded to fill the XIth Plan posts, for which interviews were conducted in February 2011. Again, following complaints, the selection process was stayed. “Marks are awarded for a candidate’s qualifications, research publications, conference participation, etc. In the BU selection process, documents were tampered with, so some candidates had more marks than they received,”said DVAC sources.
The Higher Education Department also asked the university to stop the recruitment and submit all documents relating to the process. The papers were submitted August 2011. The DVAC has now sought the original documents, but the BU is yet to respond. “After filing the FIR, the DVAC wrote to the BU twice for immediate submission of all records relating to the 2011 selection process. We are yet to get a reply,” said a DVAC official
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