Mumbai: ‘MU Knowledge Resource Centre director’s appointment illegal’

Mumbai University and the College Teachers Association MUCTA have written to the vicechancellor of Mumbai University MU terming the appointment of the director of the varsityrsquos Knowledge Resource Centre KRC Nandkishor Motewar in 2021 illegalThe teachers union has requested that action be initiated and is preparing to write to the governor and has vowed to file a lawsuit if nothing is doneThe procedure for the appointment of an officer of the university is described under Section 105 of the Maharashtra Public University Act 2016 However members of MUCTA have alleged the appointment was made in violation of this section and the criteria mentioned in the advertisement published for the postIn its letter MUCTA stated that when Motewar was selected he was working with Gondwana University in Gadchiroli as the KRC director According to the procedure in advertising candidates were expected to forward the application through the proper channel that is through their previouscurrent employer along with an NOCAlso Read Exams hit by staff stir across Maharashtra universitiesldquoThe information under RTI revealed that the application submitted for scrutiny was not forwarded through the proper channel but individually and the NOC was not attached Whereas an RTI reply from Gondwana University revealed that the NOC was provided but much later after the committee scrutinised the application and the candidate was declared eligible without an NOCrdquo said Subhash Athavle general secretary MUCTAMUCTA also alleged that the report of the committee indicates that the NOC was not attached but the committee overlooked the rules and advertisement criteria and made the candidature eligibleIt also claimed that candidatesrsquo academic performance indicator API was not scrutinisedldquoIn the RTI plagiarism reports for the purpose of 400 pages of API were asked but MU replied that the university does not take plagiarism reports This amounts to a violation of UGC guidelines We even asked for a marking system but they said no marking was done for the candidate it is shocking as markingscores are done for the appointment of an assistant professor too So why wasnrsquot the provision for the appointment of the KRC director followed We want a hearing on the matter with the governor and chancellor of state universitiesrdquo Athavle saidMotewar took charge as director on December 8 2021When contacted he said The appointment was made according to rules and regulations stipulated under the Maharashtra Public University Act 2016 and University Grants Commission UGC I worked at Gondwana University for two years as the KRC director before this I applied for the post here and was selected as anybody would I had submitted NOC tooThe allegations are baseless and irrelevant Let them complain wherever they want to they are free to do so I have submitted all the required documents and followed all procedures and am not at faultrdquo