No irregularities found in eligibility issue 8212; V-C

PUNE, Oct 22: The Vice-Chancellor, University of Pune UoP, Dr Arun Nigavekar, declared today that the University had discovered no irre...

PUNE, Oct 22: The Vice-Chancellor, University of Pune UoP, Dr Arun Nigavekar, declared today that the University had discovered no irregularities in the granting of eligibility to certain outstation management students, as was recently alleged by Prof Dhananjay Kulkarni, at a press conference.

During the first-half of the 85-member Senate meeting of the UoP, Nigavekar said that he would initiate an official inquiry into the allegations if concrete proof was submitted to him within eight days, and appealed to the Senate members not to take damaging information, especially when it casts aspersions on officials8217; character, beyond the University, but to first bring it to the notice of the concerned authorities for action. Prof Kulkarni apologised at the end of a prolonged and ugly debate on the issue, for 8220;including the V-C8217;s name in the allegations of the eligibility case.8221;

Nigavekar called for an hour8217;s open debate on the issues of malpractices in the Examination Department and examination procedures, the recently exposed cases of bogus marksheets, dummy question papers for chemical engineering examinations, and the irregularities in the English examinations exposed at Wadia college. 8220;Enquiries into these cases are on, and strict measures will be taken to prevent such occurrences in future, and maintain the prestige of the University,8221; Nigavekar said in his address.

A proposal to establish an Advanced Centre for Science and Technology at the University had been sent to the Government of India for approval, said Nigavekar, for which the Department of Science and Technology DST had issued Rs 10 lakh already.

Academic contracts have been signed with Hull, Edinborough and Auston Universities in Britain when Pro Vice-chancellor Dr N J Sonawane visited them, said Nigavekar, adding that these contracts are also awaiting Central approval.

Nigavekar said that he was hopeful that the proposal to provide Internet facilities and inter-connectivity for the University and affiliated colleges would be cleared soon, and also mentioned that a Board of Studies had been named to study the proposal to start M Phil and Ph D courses in Information Technology.

A report on the proposed autonomy for the University8217;s post-graduate departments has been submitted to the Chancellor, and will be presented at the next Senate meeting, he said.

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Announcing the features of the Indian Science Congress ISCON for January 2000, Nigavekar said that an exhibition on the strides in education, science, technology and industry over the last 10 years is planned at Pune, and later Nashik and Ahmednagar, along with several science programmes for school and college students. Nearly 5,000 scientists from India and abroad will converge in Pune for ISCON, which will be broadcast to homes via cable network. More information about ISCON is available at ins2000.org.in.

Chairman of the UGC, Dr Hari Gautam, will be the chief guest at the convocation ceremony scheduled for December 23, Nigavekar announced.

The Senate decided to refer the audit report 8217;97-98 of the University back to the management council for resolution of the queries and discrepancies, and it will now be presented at the next Senate meeting in March.