The Arjun code of conduct

HRD Minister Arjun Singh may have been snubbed by his party which denied his daughter a chance to contest from Madhya Pradesh,but that did not deter him from playing the trouble maker. The spate of appointments and ousters that his ministry carried out during the model code of conduct period is learnt to have discomfited the PMO. In fact,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called him in just after campaigning for the last phase ended to discuss this over-enthusiasm with appointments. Prof Ved Prakashs appointment at UGC,appointments of Vice-Chancellors to new central varsities,allegations of Arjun Singh pushing his own candidate an IPS officer for the CBSE top job and the buzz that the Jamia University Vice-Chancellor may get another extension were all decisions that generated controversies and resentment in the academic fraternity. Singh was also alleged to have fired the Chairman of NTTR Bhopal over his proximity with his son,who was campaigning against his sister.The PMO is said to have conveyed its displeasure to Arjun Singh at other levels too over these unavoidable last-minute appointments. Though it usually ignores all controversies,the ministry had to finally issue a clarification on this issue,claiming it had EC permission to take these decisions.