Sailing through 'eventful tenure' DU VC Dinesh Singh demits office

Delhi University VC, Dinesh Singh demitted office on Wednesday.

New Delhi: Sailing through what is being referred to as the most controversial tenure of a Delhi University Vice Chancellor, Dinesh Singh demitted office on Wednesday.

Singh, whose removal was sought now and then during his five-year tenure, was known to be at loggerheads with the HRD Ministry ever since the introduction of the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP).

While the programme had to be rolled back an year later after UGC's intervention, he was faced with several ups and downs which continued till the very end of his tenure.

Singh also remains the only DU VC in the 93-year-old history of the varsity to be issued a show-cause notice by the HRD Ministry where he was asked to explain why he should not be removed for not taking approvals for the programme.

Though he continues to maintain that he had all necessary approvals for the programme, the HRD Ministry kept him on the hook time and again, issuing a show-cause notice and even recommending his removal to the Visitor.

Singh appeared to be not in good terms with the present dispensation, though he insisted that he was under no political pressure.

A fresh row erupted earlier this month when the HRD Ministry had sought to send him on compulsory leave over allegations of Singh's alleged involvement in a conflict of interest in the appointment of former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan to the selection panel of Singh's successor, despite him being an honorary professor.

Though the selection panel is yet to formalise the appointment of new Vice Chancellor, the varsity's Pro-Vice Chancellor Sudhish Pachauri will be taking over as the acting VC after Singh had refused to be in office "a day beyond his tenure".

The university also issued a notification today about the appointment of Pachauri, a professor in varsity's Hindi department as the acting Vice Chancellor. He will take charge tomorrow.

Singh, who studied mathematics at St Stephen's college, has also served as a professor in varsity's mathematics department and as the Director of South Campus before he took charge as the VC in 2010.

The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) which has been up-in-arms against the VC demanding his removal and even releasing a white paper alleging financial and administrative irregularities in Singh's functioning, celebrated the VC's last day in office as "good riddance day".