By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
Prof GC Tripathi, now the former vice-chancellor at Banaras Hindu University, made a remark on his farewell speech on Sunday which has raised the tension levels among the University staff who were appointed during Tripathi’s tenure.
While addressing a gathering of around hundred selected individuals, Prof Tripathi said, “I have had to select incompetent individuals on various posts in compulsion.”
Tripathi came covertly in University premises on Sunday to attend a farewell ceremony held for him. Only the students from BHU’s medical college were invited to avoid any sort of disruption and protest against Tripathi, who has been one of the most controversial vice-chancellors of the University.
Now, the local media is following Tripathi’s words to trail out the link between his ‘compulsion’ and the appointments during his tenure, which has left a number of people appointed during that period extremely worried.
In August this year, TwoCircles.net published two investigations on how BHU has been defying reservation rules and appointing upper caste individuals on teaching staff posts. The reports can be accessed here and here.
After Tripathi’s recent remarks, former vice-chancellors of the University as well as Tripathi’s fierce critiques have got a chance to trap him again.
Prof Lalji Singh, who held the VC post just before GC Tripathi, told Hindi Daily Amar Ujala, “There is no pride without competency. Passing such remarks only shows the mentality of him (Prof. Tripathi).”
Dr Om Shankar, Assistant professor of Cardiology at Institute of Medical Sciences, wrote a Facebook post soon after Tripathi’s controversial remark came into the media. Om Shankar, in his Facebook post, said, “You wrote ‘No Suitable Candidate Found’ for the posts belonging to reserved categories, why you did not adopted the same measure for the posts belonging to unreserved category?”
“You basically quashed the Mahamana’s (Madan Mohan Malviya) values and ideas by bringing Mahamana’s name in every other thing,” wrote Om Shankar.
Various student activists and staff at the university have started raising demands to set up a probe on the appointments done under Tripathi’s regime. Those who may possibly come under the probe, now live in fear.
One assistant professor from the science faculty, who was appointed in 2017, talked with TwoCircles.net on the condition of anonymity. He said, “We were given a walkthrough through the interview room. I have spent not more than two minutes in front of the interviewers.”
“If the suspected probe is ordered, we all may face action. Let’s hope that does not happen,” added the assistant professor. He, however, refused to discuss that on which grounds he was appointed.
When TwoCircles.net tried to approach the university officials regarding Tripathi’s remarks, we were told to clarify with Tripathi as he is responsible for making the remarks.
If rumours to be believed, various appointments in BHU were made in exchange of money or on behalf of a relation or the social stature with the candidates. But university officials as well as the appointed candidates have been constantly denying to respond to such allegations.