The two directors of Indian Institutes of Technology are continuing in their respective offices despite being indicted by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The Human Resource Development Ministry has appointed Damodar Acharya at IIT-Kharagpur and A K Bhowmick at IIT-Patna – despite of their tainted past.
The HRD ministry appointed Bhowmick at IIT – Patna knowing that the CBI in 2008 had recommended penalty against him. Bhowmick was the professor of rubber technology centre in IIT-Kharagpur and the then dean of Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy Centre (SRIC), when the action was recommended against him.
Meanwhile, Acharya was found involved in the All India Council for Technical Education ( AICTE) scam. Acharya was the AICTE's chairperson before taking over as director of IIT-Kharagpur. Though the agency recommended regular departmental action against Acharya in May, the ministry has been delaying the action.
Bhowmick was involved in Coalnet project. In its report, the CBI had stated that Bhowmick, as dean of SRIC accepted the work order issued by the Coal India Limited (CIL), which prohibited outsourcing without the CIL's approval. "Still he outsourced the entire job to another firm and thus violated the condition of work order," the CBI report said. The agency had also recommended penalty against two other IIT-Kharagpur professors - R N Banerjee and P P Chakraborti - for their involvement in the Coalnet project.
Acharya even wrote to B Muthuraman, chairperson, board of governors of IIT-Kharagpur, seeking approval to initiate departmental proceedings against Bhowmick, Banerjee and Chakraborti, but nothing came out of it. In 2009, Bhowmick was made the director of IIT-Patna, despite CBI's indictment.
Even the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) pointed out the Coalnet project's failure.
The HRD ministry appointed Bhowmick at IIT – Patna knowing that the CBI in 2008 had recommended penalty against him. Bhowmick was the professor of rubber technology centre in IIT-Kharagpur and the then dean of Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy Centre (SRIC), when the action was recommended against him.
Meanwhile, Acharya was found involved in the All India Council for Technical Education ( AICTE) scam. Acharya was the AICTE's chairperson before taking over as director of IIT-Kharagpur. Though the agency recommended regular departmental action against Acharya in May, the ministry has been delaying the action.
Bhowmick was involved in Coalnet project. In its report, the CBI had stated that Bhowmick, as dean of SRIC accepted the work order issued by the Coal India Limited (CIL), which prohibited outsourcing without the CIL's approval. "Still he outsourced the entire job to another firm and thus violated the condition of work order," the CBI report said. The agency had also recommended penalty against two other IIT-Kharagpur professors - R N Banerjee and P P Chakraborti - for their involvement in the Coalnet project.
Acharya even wrote to B Muthuraman, chairperson, board of governors of IIT-Kharagpur, seeking approval to initiate departmental proceedings against Bhowmick, Banerjee and Chakraborti, but nothing came out of it. In 2009, Bhowmick was made the director of IIT-Patna, despite CBI's indictment.
Even the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) pointed out the Coalnet project's failure.
[Source: Times of India]
