Rajendra Khimani steps down as Vidyapith VC

One of the Vidyapith trustees confirmed Khimani’s resignation to this paper. Despite repeated attempts, Dr Rajendra Khimani did not respond to calls.

The development comes in the wake of Gujarat High Court order of September 2022 that had directed the Gujarat Vidyapith to ‘pass appropriate orders’ within eight weeks based on the report by University Grants Commission (UGC) that had sought Khimani’s dismissal owing to observation of procedural lapses in his appointment. The HC had also cited lapses by Khimani on the administrative and financial functioning during his tenure as the Registrar.

Relying on UGC regulations, the court, while not entering into the merits of the case, held that the dissent note “indicated that the petitioner had certain Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) inquiries pending and therefore, was not eligible for the appointment.”

“Within my heart, I’m giving them time of eight weeks because I have serious doubt whether the Vidyapith (will do it),” the court had also orally remarked.

Vidyapith had then requested for an extension of the eight-week deadline owing to the ill health of late Chancellor Elaben Bhatt.

On January 2, the Board of Trustees had unanimously appointed four new trustees. This was after eight out of the 24 trustees resigned citing “unethical use of power” for Chancellor Governor Acharya Devvrat’s appointment and alleging ‘it was neither spontaneous nor the unanimous decision of the Board of Trustees but under crass political pressure’ in October 2022.

UGC had, on April 25, 2022, issued a show cause notice to Gujarat Vidyapith asking “why the deemed-to-be University status of the University should not be withdrawn” and the grants stopped.

On November 25, 2021, UGC had issued directives in its meeting held to “remove Dr Rajendra Khimani as the Vice-Chancellor of the Vidyapith ‘with immediate effect’”, observing “procedural lapses” in his appointment. On March 22, the HC issued notice to the commission and directed no “coercive steps” to remove him. The court’s notice came on a petition filed by Khimani that sought directions from the court declaring the commission’s decision directing the chancellor to remove him as V-C taken as “illegal”.

Khimani’s appointment as Vidyapith VC was always under scanner. In December 2020, the University had declared Khimani’s name as the Vice-Chancellor to which UGC had objected citing flouting of norms in the selection process. On June 29, 2021, nearly six months after his appointment that was soon followed by its cancellation, he was appointed to the same position again.

UGC had objected to the formation of a search committee by Gujarat Vidyapith citing no representation from the Commission. Following this, UGC had appointed Prof Navin Sheth, Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat Technological University (GTU), as one of the four members of the search committee.