Imphal, July 15: Even as the ruckus created by the alleged fake purchases scam is yet to settle down at Manipur University, another disturbing question has been raised over whether the MU authority had wilfully legitimised two fake appointments in the varsity after it was upgraded to the status of a Central University.

According to an official source, which is substantiated with documents in the possession of The Sangai Express, the posts in question are in the Chemistry and Linguistics Departments.

The appointment to the contentious post in Chemistry was effected in 1997 while the one in Linguistics Department occurred way back in 1991.The source conveyed that after MU was upgraded to the status of a Central University, a Committee of Deans of the University was formed to study whether those appointed in the different departments are in sync with the sanctioned posts or not and also to study whether there is any shortage.

It was during the course of the study conducted by the Committee that the existence of the two posts came to the notice of the MU authority.

Though the position of the said two posts were contentious, the Academic Council of MU under Resolution 5 of the Proceedings of the Meeting resolved that the said two posts were deemed to have been created effective from the respective dates on which the appointments were made.

This resolution was adopted on 12 October 2006 and was endorsed during the second meeting of the Academic Council held on May 5 this year.

However the interesting point is that the Academic Council of MU is not at all empowered to create teaching posts, said the source and added that at the most it can recommend to the Executive Council of the University for post creation.

Apart from this if the Executive Council wants to create any post, it needs to take the financial approval of the University Grants Commission which is the sole funding agency for MU.

This rule became applicable after MU was upgraded to a Central University.

The question that beggars an answer is how the Academic Council of MU acted beyond its jurisdiction and announced the creation of the said two posts, added the source.

On the other hand the Academic Council during its first meeting after MU became a Central University decided to recommend the creation of seven posts each in Biotechnology and Physical Education to the Executive Council according to the norms laid down for a Central University, further said the source.

Another serious question that has been raised against the MU authority is how the grade of a Professor in the Physics Department was included in the advertisement (Number 3/2006, dates June 6, 2006) calling for applications to fill up 70 teaching posts in Manipur University, said the source and explained that suspicion was raised because the said post was never occupied nor any advertisement made for it during the last 25 years.

However no one was recruited against the said post named in the Physics Department, added the source.

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