Raja Kumar ‘Removed’ As Director Of IIT-Bhubaneswar; VK Tiwari Assumes Charge

Bhubaneswar: Prof Virendra Kumar Tiwari, has assumed charge as director, IIT-Bhubaneswar. Prof Tiwari, who is director, IIT-Kharagpur, will be in additional charge of Bhubaneswar institute.

The outgoing director, IIT-Bhubaneswar Prof RV Raja Kumar handed over the charge to Prof Tiwari on Saturday evening. Prof Kumar, in a tweet, said, “I have given charge of director, IIT Bhubaneswar to Prof VK Tiwari on a letter from Ministry of Education. I will be joining back IIT Kharagpur.”

Prof Kumar was on indefinite extension after completing his five-year term in April, 2020. As per the institute’s statute, the tenure of a director can be extended till June 30 of the year after completion of tenure. Prof Kumar was initially been given extension till June 30, 2020, after his term ended in April that year.

Later, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal invoked emergency powers granted to the IIT Council chairman to grant Prof Kumar an indefinite extension till the appointment of a regular director.

The shifting of Prof Kumar is shrouded in controversy as he has been displaced at a time when the IIT Council, the governing body of the tech schools, is already in the process of appointing a new director. A panel has shortlisted candidates on March 15.

According to sources, the IIT Council has removed Prof Kumar, following complaints of irregularities in appointments and imposing heavy penalty on students for minor offences. Union Education Minister and IIT Council chairman Dharmendra Pradhan took the decision to remove Prof Kumar following a complaint from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

The ABVP, in its complaint to higher education secretary Amit Khare last year had alleged that Prof Kumar, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, was giving preference to Telugu-speaking candidates in appointment of teachers. Around 70% of 40 faculty posts have been filled up during his tenure with candidates from Andhra Pradesh.

The ABVP also accused of Prof Kumar of imposing high penalties amounting to Rs 50,000 on students for minor offences like making noise in hostels or defacing walls. Besides, it pointed out that the prestigious institute’s ranking had gone down from 22 in 2020 to 28 in 2021 under the National Institute Ranking Framework.

Registrar, IIT Bhubaneswar Debaraja Rath, in his response to the allegations said the institute has not received any complaints either from the ministry or organisation. “Imposition of penalty on students due to violation of norms is a general phenomenon as per the institute disciplinary rules.  The complaint of heavy penalty, as claimed, is factually not correct,” The Telegraph quoted him as saying.