NEW DELHI: The Director of Operations of the aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Ravinder Singh Janwal, who also performed the dual role of the Director of Flight Standards has been removed from the additional charge.
This follows an inquiry initiated by the DGCA after The New Indian Express exposed the malpractices adopted by Janwal to rise up the ladder through fake educational certificates.
Jaiswal will continue as Director of Air Space and Air Navigation Services, another crucial role.
Jamwal came into prominence during the recent Indigo meltdown from December 1 to 9 this year when he issued a Show Cause notice to Indigo CEO Pieter Elbers on December 6 asking him to give a detailed explanation on the crisis within 24 hours. This was in his capacity as Director of Flight Operations.
This reporter reached out to both Ministry officials as well as the regulator after the notice was issued and questioned the propriety of retaining Jaiswal in a crucial role as Director of Operations despite overwhelming evidence presented by this newspaper about his wrongdoings in the form of a fake postgraduate degree from a university in Sikkim. The response a fortnight ago was that the inquiry into the episode was still on and action would be taken when the findings are released. This reporter was also told that Jaiswal's promotion was withheld following the TNIE report. "Action will be taken after the inquiry committee submits the report," was the response from a senior official.
The DGCA order issued a week ago (on Dec 23) did not give any details.It read, "Ravinder Singh Jamwal, Director of Operations, holding additional charge of Flight Standards Directorate along with existing charge of Airspace and Air Navigation Standards (ANS) has been posted to Airspace and ANS at the headquarters until further orders "
The Director of Flights Standards is a crucial post as the Flight Duty Time Limitations, which determines the duty and rest hours are determined by the person. It plays a direct role in flight operations and the profits of airlines. Retaining someone at this post despite documentary evidence that his integrity was questionable does not bode well well for the DGCA or the Civil Aviation Ministry.
On January 13, 2024, The New Indian Express has in a front page report exposed that Jamwal had produced fake postgraduate degree in Physics in July 2012 from EIILM University in Sikkim to clear his UPSC exam. TNIE had the documents to substantiate it.
The details run this: After a whistleblower exposed his malpractice and forgery to the DGCA by end of 2023, the Deputy Director, Administration, Varsha Shalini, wrote to the University for details. The Directorate of Higher Education in the Secretariat at Sikkim responded immediately to the regulator stating, "The master's degree in Physics is not a course recognised by the UGC.As such the degree obtained by Ravinder Singh bearing enrolment no. EIILMU/10/F/2152378 is not genuine."
Jamwal had joined DGCA as Assistant Director (Operations) on October 1, 2012. He wanted to move up the ladder as Deputy Director of Operations. "Since this post required an M.Sc degree in Physics or Electronics or a degree in Aeronautical/Electrical or Electronics, he chose to create these fake degrees," a source told TNIE then. He managed to clear the exam and join as Deputy Director of Operations in March 2016 and was promoted as Director in 2021.
TNIE had released all the documentary evidence on X platform to establish his guilt.
However, no action was taken for nearly two years. When asked about it, sources repeatedly told this reporter that "Jamwal was very influential and had powerful connections and that protected him."
Though much delayed, atleast sone action appears to have been taken by the DGCA. However, he still remains in a crucial role related to safety like issual of licences to facilities in Communications, Navigations and Radars in his role as head of Air Space and ANS. There has been no talk of any suspension or dismissal too
Despite repeated attempts, no one at DGCA or the Ministry wanted to speak to this reporter. One source alone commended this reporter for doing the job expected of a journalist.