President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to HRD Ministry’s recommendation to sack Pondicherry University V-C Chandra Krishnamurthy, who is facing allegations of plagiarism and misrepresentation.
“An order would be issued soon,” a senior HRD Ministry official told PTI.
Ms. Krishnamurthy had been issued a show cause notice after a UGC committee found her guilty of plagiarism and misrepresentation.
She took charge on February 1, 2013 for a five-year term. Last August, she was served the show cause notice asking her to explain why she should not be dismissed.
However, the V-C had challenged the “procedural fairness” in issue of the notice, but after a court verdict found nothing wrong in it, she replied to it earlier this year.
Students welcome action
A section of faculty of students who were in the forefront of a long-drawn agitation seeking the ouster of Ms. Krishnamurthy has welcomed the Presidential nod for her sacking her.
Dastagiri Reddy, general secretary, Pondicherry University Teachers’ Association (PUTA), said in a statement here that “though it was a long struggle for the Joint Action Committee against the anarchic administration of Mrs. Chandra Krishnamurthy, the members worked relentlessly and succeeded.”
“The final push given by the Pondicherry University Students’ Movement was a big jolt to the former VC and it knocked her out of the university,” he stated.
The PUTA demanded that the salary drawn by Ms. Krishnamurthy during her tenure as Vice Chancellor of Punjab University, SNDT Women’s University and National Law University must be recovered.
“Now, the Pondicherry University has became a success story and the credit goes to all those brave hearts who fought for the cause,” Mr. Reddy said.
Promod Singh, PUTA president, said even such a punishment was not adequate, given the extent of damage she inflicted on the institution.
He hoped that after this experience, the MHRD would ensure that only persons with academic integrity were appointed in such high offices.
(With additional inputs from Puducherry reporter)
She was issued a show cause notice after a UGC panel found her guilty
of plagiarism
Published - June 30, 2016 12:00 am IST
