Ensuring Integrity in University Leadership: GIPE’s Path Forward | S N Tripathy

Higher education is critical to national development as it enhances intellectual capabilities and improves living standards. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 seeks to transform India’s education system, with a focus on university administration. It emphasizes autonomy, transparency, and accountability, advocating for a robust regulatory framework to maintain academic standards. The NEP 2020 promotes a multidisciplinary approach, encouraging collaboration across various fields. It calls for the creation of a Board of Governors (BoG) or Governing Council, involving experts from academia and industry, to bring fresh perspectives, improve financial management, and foster innovation in higher education administration.

An important feature of the NEP 2020 is its vision for a significant shift in university administration in India. It emphasizes the Vice-Chancellor’s (VC) role as a critical driver of transformative change within higher education institutions. The VC is expected to lead the implementation of the policy’s core principles, such as autonomy, multidisciplinary education, and research excellence. NEP 2020 encourages VCs to innovate and create an environment conducive to academic freedom and creativity. They are tasked with ensuring transparent and effective governance while collaborating with stakeholders, including faculty, industry experts, and the community. The VC’s leadership is vital in shaping the institution’s vision, strategic planning, and resource allocation, aligning them with NEP’s objectives. In this framework, VCs are positioned as catalysts for holistic university development, with the potential to elevate the quality and relevance of higher education in India.

The selection process for the Vice-Chancellor’s role involves forming a Search-cum-Selection Committee composed of 3-5 eminent individuals, unconnected to the concerned university or its affiliated colleges. If the Committee cannot unanimously recommend a panel of at least three suitable candidates from eminent individuals in the field of engineering sciences, each member may independently submit one name to the Chancellor. The qualifications and eligibility for the Vice-Chancellor’s appointment are specified under the UGC Regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Other Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education, 2018, commonly referred to as UGC Regulations.

Under NEP 2020 guidelines, the Vice-Chancellor must be a distinguished academician with a minimum of ten years of experience as a professor in a university system or in an equivalent position in a reputable research or academic administrative organization. The committee responsible for selecting the Vice-Chancellor consists of:

• A nominee of the Chancellor, who serves as the Chairperson of the Committee.
• A nominee of the Chairman of the University Grants Commission.
• A nominee from the Syndicate, Executive Council, or Board of Management of the University.

The committee’s mandate includes identifying potential candidates through public notifications, nominations, and talent searches. When selecting candidates, the committee should consider factors such as academic excellence, national and international exposure, and substantial experience in academic and administrative governance.

In a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, it was emphasized that Vice-Chancellors must have at least ten years of experience as professors and should be selected from a panel. The ruling stemmed from a challenge by Narendra Singh Bhandari, whose appointment as VC of Soban Singh Jeena University was set aside by the Uttarakhand High Court in 2021.

A series of troubling developments at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) over the last six months surrounding the unlawful appointment raises serious questions about irregularities, conflict of interest, and the qualifications of its Vice Chancellor, Ajit Ranade.

After a lapse of 12 years, during which GIPE continued to function under officiating Directors—a position never recognized by the UGC but allowed to persist due to an improper nexus with GIPE—the Board of Management, on 21st May 2021, resolved to appoint a Vice-Chancellor to the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune. On September 11, 2021, a Board of Management meeting was convened to form a Search cum Selection Committee. During this meeting, Mrs Shyamala Gopinath, Former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, was nominated as the Chancellor’s nominee and Chairperson of the Search cum Selection Committee. In contrast, Prof. S. Mahendra Dev was nominated as the Board of Management’s nominee (recommended by Dr Ranade) [1].

An apparent conflict of interest emerged when Dr Ajit Ranade, a member of the Board of Management, participated in the Search cum Selection Committee that ultimately recommended his appointment as Vice-Chancellor. The selection and appointment process is fundamentally flawed, with apparent conflicts of interest. Dr Rajiv Kumar and the Search cum Selection Committee were fully aware of these facts, as already the former Chancellor, Dr Rajiv Kumar, was requested by the members of Servants of India Society, the institute’s sponsoring body, and members of the Board of Management, Mr Ramakanta Lenka and Mr M B Deshmukh in their letter dated 19/10/2021 about the issue of ’conflict of interest’ of Dr Ajit Ranade [2].

There is an apparent ’conflict of interest’ since Dr Ranade participated in all discussions as a member of the Board of Management of GIPE when the talks on forming the ’search-cum-selection’ committee were taking place. Further, he also attended all online meetings under which selection and procedure were adopted for the post of Vice-Chancellor and were discussed. 

Despite this, Dr Rajiv Kumar, who has been the Chancellor of Gokhale Institute since 2014, ignored these concerns and had earlier appointed Dr Ajit Ranade to the Board of Management as his nominee. Their professional association dates to their days at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). "Ranade’s one-year tenure as a professor at the Indian Council for Research and International Economic Relations, New Delhi, is the only one that meets the UGC’s criteria as a professor." [3]

The Search cum Selection Committee was also aware that Dr. Ranade lacked the required 10 years of experience as a "Professor" in a university or reputed research and academic administrative organization. Nevertheless, the committee recommended him for the post of Vice Chancellor on 4th February 2022. 

The letter issued by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education, dated 12th March 2015, regarding the procedure for nomination of persons by the Executive Council to the Search Cum Selection Committee for the appointment of VCs in Central Universities. The letter clearly states that the members of the Council who could be prospective applicants for the said post should recuse themselves from the said procedure. Otherwise, it would amount to a ’conflict of interest’, citing that it would be a highly unethical practice, and they shall be deemed to be disqualified [4]. Dr. Rajiv Kumar deliberately ignored the fact and appointed Ajit Ranade as VC. The selection process was arbitrary, procedurally impropriety, against natural justice, violating the Constitutional Provisions of Articles 14 and 16. 

On 27th June 2024, Dr Rajiv Kumar served a show cause notice to Vice Chancellor Dr Ajit Ranade and sought his explanation in two weeks. One crucial issue was the Qualification of VC under UGC regulation as if he was unaware of the unlawful appointment of Dr Ranade [5]. On assuming the charge of Chancellor of GIPE, Dr Bibek Debroy took the dynamic step to mark a full stop to such an unpleasant situation by appointing a fact-finding committee (FFC) to examine the show-cause notice issued to Dr Ranade by the former Chancellor, Dr Rajiv Kumar. The FFC had a physical meeting with Dr Ranade on 13th September 2024 and strongly recommended the removal of the VC Dr Ranade. 

The FFC had a physical meeting with Dr. Ranade on 13th September 2024 and strongly recommended for removal of the VC Dr. Ranade.

“The committee after careful consideration, is of the opinion that Dr. Ajit Ranade’s candidature does not confirm to the established norms set forth by the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines. It is therefore legally untenable for him to continue the role of Vice-chancellor as his appointment fails to meet the requisite legal and regulatory criteria for such a position.”

Therefore, Dr. Bibek Debroy, Chancellor of GIPE, had no option but to remove Dr. Ajit Ranade, with immediate effect on 14th September 2024 [6].

Dr. Bibek Debroy, Chancellor of GIPE on 15th September 2024 wrote to the registrar:

Under the UGC Rules, “… Provided that if the Pro-Vice-Chancellor is unavailable, the Chancellor shall appoint the senior-most Professor who shall perform the duties of the Vice-Chancellor, until a new Vice-Chancellor assumes office or the existing Vice-Chancellor duties of his or her office, as the case may be. …..”, the senior-mot Professor of GIPE should become the Interim VC. Accordingly, I requested Prof. Deepak Shah of GIPE. Unfortunately, he has refused. Therefore, Prof. Shankar Das, Pro-Vice-Chancellor at TISS, will be the Interim VC of GIPE with effect from 22nd September 2024 [7].

Dr. Bibek Debroy’s decisive leadership as GIPE’s chancellor demonstrated his administrative acumen. He swiftly resolved conflicts of interest, upheld transparency, and adhered to regulatory norms. He also ensured the institution’s integrity by appointing a fact-finding committee and removing an unlawfully appointed Vice Chancellor.

(Author: Prof (Dr.) S N Tripathy, Former Professor of Economics, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune, currently at Berhampur, Odisha)