Flouting apex court’s order, ex-registrar’s son continues to work as assistant professor at Punjabi varsity

Source: hindustantimes.com

Flouting the Supreme Court’s orders, a former Punjabi University registrar’s son continues to work as an assistant professor even after his MTech degree stands invalid.

An assistant professor in the distance education department, Dilraj Singh, son of former Punjabi University registrar Manjit Singh, has failed to fulfil the requirements set by the Supreme Court.

Dilraj had completed his MTech in information technology through a distance education course from Institute of Advanced Studies in Education (IASE), Rajasthan, in 2005 with a score of 81%.

He was recruited as assistant professor to Punjabi University in 2010 while his father was the registrar of the university.

In 2017, while deciding a petition on technical degrees awarded through distance education, the Supreme Court had directed the degrees of the students, who had pursued engineering in the academic sessions between 2001-2005 from four deemed universities including IASE to stand suspended.

The apex court had set certain requirements which gave the affected students an opportunity to revive their degrees within a stipulated time frame.

The court directed All India council of Technical Education (AICTE) to conduct a test for the students whose degrees would stand suspended so that they could revive it.

The court’s statement said, “The students have to clear the test conducted by the AICTE within the stipulated time frame failing which their degrees will stand invalid.”

Following this, Dilraj moved to Punjab and Haryana high court seeking the quashing of the public notice issued by AICTE on December 2, 2017, regarding suspension of degrees on basis of Supreme Court’s order.

In December last year, the high court had dismissed Dilraj’s petition stating that “there is no merit in the petition and the issue raised by the petitioner has already been discussed by the Supreme Court, which granted no relief in similar petitions.”

Speaking on Dilraj’s behalf, his father and former registrar, Manjit Singh, who is following up on the case said that they have challenged the high court’s decision before the double bench of the apex court.

Another assistant professor, whose degree had stood invalid as per the apex court’s orders, Kanwal Preet Singh, cleared the written test for MTech as per the norms of the Supreme Court and is now eligible to continue his job.

Students union leader, Harvinder Singh Sandhu, has written a letter to the vice-chancellor demanding the dismissal of Dilraj as his degree stands invalid. University registrar MS Nijjar said he is aware of the matter but is yet to study the case in detail.

“Degrees of two other members of the university stood invalid due to the Supreme Court’s orders but they appeared for the examination conducted by AICTE and revived their degrees. But, I have to look into Dilraj’s matter. We will act as per the Supreme Court’s orders,” Nijjar said.