University professor demoted
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Dec 15 — A senior teacher, Dr RK Srivastava of the English Department of Guru Nanak Dev University, has been demoted from the post of Professor to Reader on the charge of misbehaving with a woman research scholar of the department.

The decision was taken by the Syndicate at a meeting held here today under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor, Dr HS Soch.

Releasing the proceedings of the Syndicate to the press, Dr RS Bawa, Registrar of the university, said that in 1990, on account of misbehaviour with a woman research scholar of the department the university appointed Mr Lal Singh Aujla, a retired IAS officer, to hold a preliminary enquiry. After submission of the enquiry report by Mr Aujla Justice (retd) KPS Sandhu was deputed by the university to hold an enquiry. On the basis of this enquiry report a show-cause notice was issued to Prof Srivastava for termination of his services.

A case was filed by Dr Srivastava in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The reply to the show-cause notice was not found satisfactory and hence the decision for his demotion from Professor to Reader on the basis of legal opinion expressed by Dr Justice (retd) Sarojei Saksena.

In another resolution the Syndicate congratulated a senior professor and INSA fellow and professor emeritus, Dr Harjit Singh of the Chemistry Department, who has been awarded Goel Award for 1997 and Dr RC Shah Memorial Lecture Award for 1998 for his research work and commendable services in the field of chemistry.

The Syndicate appreciated the efforts for getting the maximum grants from the UGC for university and its affiliated colleges. It had also granted formal permission for setting up Guru Nanak Heritage Centre on the university campus.

For filling vacant posts in various teaching and non-teaching departments of the university the Syndicate had constituted two sub-committees for filling the posts. The Vice-Chancellor, the Pro Vice-Chancellor, the Principal Secretary, Higher Education, the DPI (Colleges) and the Dean, Academic Affairs, would be members of the sub-committee for teaching posts while the Vice-Chancellor, the Pro VC, the Principal Secretary, Higher Education, the DPI (Colleges) and the Registrar would be the members of the sub committees for the non-teaching posts.

A high-powered committee had also been constituted to rationalise the grants and other matters. The Vice-Chancellor, the Pro VC, the Principal Secretary, Higher Education, the DPI (Colleges) the Dean, Academic Affairs, and the Registrar would be its members, added Dr Bawa.