Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) Vice-Chancellor Dr S N Pathan may be removed from post?

Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) Vice-Chancellor Dr S N Pathan, who is already in trouble over allocation of University land to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for party national convention, may be removed from his post if the Governor of Maharashtra who is also the Chancellor of the University finds ‘deliberate action’ on his part in the matter.

“We have sought an explanation on the matter from the RTMNU Vice-Chancellor within four weeks. If the explanation hints at deliberate act on part of the Vice-Chancellor (V-C), the Governor may remove him from the post,” said Shrikant Deshpande, Secretary to the Governor. Deshpande told reporters that from the facts presented to the Governor’s office so far, it was evident that the Vice-Chancellor had ‘shied away from his responsibility by omission or commission’.

Elaborating on the issue, Deshpande said that the Management Council of the University had passed a resolution to give the University land to BJP for national convention in February. Though it was the Management Council’s right to decide who to make available the University land, it was the responsibility of the V-C as per the service conditions to ensure that any such act was in the interest of the University. As there was a clash between the Management Council’s rights and the V-C’s service conditions, Dr Pathan should have referred the matter for guidance to the Chancellor’s office. Instead of doing so, Dr Pathan sought the Advocate General’s opinion. The Advocate General opined that the V-C should ask Management Council to reconsider resolution. Later, Management Council changed service conditions, which is the right of the Government. Hence, the Chancellor has served notice to the RTMNU Management Council also asking it to cancel the resolution regarding deletion of that particular service condition, Deshpande added.