UGC, AICTE petitioned to remove MTU VC
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, June 07 2022:
RTI activist and Movement for People's Rights to Information Manipur convener Wahengbam Joykumar has submitted complaint letters to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) requesting removal of vice-chancellor of Manipur Technical University (MTU).
Informing this during a press meet held at Manipur Press Club here on Tuesday, Joykumar alleged that the government appointed a person, who does not meet the criteria, as the vice-chancellor of MTU through corrupt practices.
RTI response confirms that VC Dr Bhabeshwar Tongbram completed Master's course in civil engineering but he got his PhD in History from Manipur University in 2010 .
He did not seek prior approval, permission or study leave for pursuing PhD, which is violation of civil service conduct, he said.
During his stint at Government Polytechnic, Dr Bhaveshwar filed a petition in the High Court in 2016 praying to appoint him as the principal of the institute but the court dismissed the same on the ground of his non engineering PhD, he said.
The RTI activist also alleged the government of insert ing the words "having experience in technical education" in the notification issued for the appointment of the post of vice-chancellor of MTU, which is not in the rules and regulations of UGC.
Further, NIT selected Dr Bhaveshwar as assistant professor of civil engineering in 2010 but rejected the appointment promptly because of his non-engineering background, Joykumar said, adding that he wrote to UGC secretary and AICTE member secretary requesting to take up necessary actions against Dr Bhabeshwar Tong-bram and direct the authority concerned to remove him from the post of MTU VC as well as to prohibit him from serving under any department.