Bihar central varsity clears 14 centres despite objections by 3 EC members

The MGCU convened a meeting of the EC on Thursday – its first since September 2019 – with the reported objective of endorsing 14 centres of study, which should have been opened in the first place after the EC’s approval. MGCU sources said the Union education ministry had sought an explanation from the varsity about launching these centres without the nod from the AC and the EC.

The Indian Express had reported on 3 December, 2021, about how the MGCU opened 16 centres of study in one year without following due process and procedures. While the proposal of opening 5 of 14 centres was brought before the AC, it was not duly ratified by the EC. Nine centres were opened without the approval of the AC and the EC. One of these centres was opened in a 10 X 10 feet kitchen-store. None of the 16 centres has designated faculty or proper space or facilities even though “coordinators” have been appointed for all the centres.

An MGCU EC member, who attended the EC meeting Thursday, told The Indian Express: “Three EC members objected to the opening of these (14) centres without due approval from AC and EC. All three members questioned the haste in opening these centres.”

An EC member, who raised objection over the opening of these centres, said: “We hope our objection is put on record in EC minutes. If it is not done, we will oppose it later…During the meeting, MGCU VC Sanjeev Kumar Sharma reasoned that he was not ‘an acting VC” but was on extension and could take policy decision. We would also expect Union education ministry to make it clear if Sharma is an acting VC or not.”

The EC member added that the meeting was rushed through and most members were not given adequate time to go through its agenda and AC proceeding details properly. There are 16 EC members in the MGCU.

The Indian Express had found that 5 of these 14 centres of the study had been run from the office space of teachers appointed as centre coordinators.

MGCU VC Sanjeev Kumar Sharma did not respond to queries, sent through email and WhatsApp text, about the EC’s Thursday meeting.

The MGCU, established through an Act of Parliament in 2014, became operational in 2016. It runs from a 25-acre campus and four rented premises; has 120 teachers and 1,300 students besides 350 research scholars.