Guv moves to clean up nepotism in agri varsities
Clears ordinance to form recruitment board for key appointments.
Following repeated complaints of nepotism and corruption in recruitment for important posts in the four state-run agricultural universities,Governor K Sankarnarayanan has issued an ordinance calling for the creation of Maharashtra Agricultural Universities Recruitment Board,on the lines of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board under the Union Ministry of Agriculture.
An official from the state’s Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil’s office said recruitment to important posts in agricultural universities was being carried out in a deplorable manner. “There is absolutely no importance being given to merit. Since the posts of both the Vice-Chancellor and Vice-Chairman of Maharashtra Council of Agricultural Education and Research (MCAER) are essentially political in nature,all appointments were being made under political influence and were mired in corruption and nepotism. Due to this,the quality of staff at state-run universities is abysmal,” the official said.
So far,these four universities had a free hand in recruitment.
The ordinance that came into effect on October 24 states the Governor is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action to amend the Maharashtra Agricultural Universities Act,1983,to include the creation of a single separate recruitment board for all the four state-run agricultural universities,namely Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth at Parbhani,Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth at Dapoli,Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth at Akola and Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth in Rahuri.
Together,the four varsities have an annual output of 11,000 undergraduates,post-graduates and doctorate students every year.
The recruitment board will be headed by a non-political person with a background in agriculture sciences and he or she will be nominated by the Governor. The board will consist of chairman to be appointed by chairman of the State Council,V-C of the university concerned,one non-official member,two experts to be nominated by Governor and two representatives of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
The idea for creation of such a board was put forth by the agriculture minister.
In January this year,Tukaram More,the V-C of Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV),was indicted in a report submitted by the director general of MCAER. In August last year,the state government had ordered an inquiry after it emerged that in the exam conducted from February 22 to 24 last year for the post of 36 junior research assistants,relatives of the vice-chancellor’s own staff passed with flying colours. The son of the deputy registrar and the wife of a technical officer of the university were appointed to the post by More.
According to officials from the agricultural department,question papers for the exam were allegedly set by professors whose children also took the exam.
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