Gokhale Institute vice chancellor terms Sanjeev Sanyal's removal `unjust, arbitrary'

NEW DELHI: Shankar Das, vice chancellor of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) here, on Friday strongly criticised the removal of economist Sanjeev Sanyal as chancellor of the prestigious institute by the Servants of India Society (SIS), calling the action "unjust and arbitrary." Former Bombay High Court judge S C Dharmadhikari will replace Sanyal, as per the appointment letter issued by SIS president Damodar Sahoo on Thursday.

Reacting to the development, Das told PTI, "It is extremely unfortunate.... it is the unjust and arbitrary removal of our chancellor, an individual whose exceptional leadership has been nothing short of exemplary. To remove such a transformational figure without clear justification or due consultation reflects a disturbing disregard for institutional autonomy and the collective aspirations of the university community."

The decision undermined the values of academic freedom, democratic functioning and visionary leadership that universities are expected to uphold, he added. In a surprising move on Thursday, SIS president Sahoo removed Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, as chancellor of GIPE citing declining academic standing of the institute.

Sahoo flags institute’s downfall

In a letter accessed by PTI, Sahoo pointed to the "downfall" of the institute's credentials as GIPE got 'B' grade in NAAC accreditation . Countering the charge, Das said, "The NAAC assessment period clearly spans five years, from June 2018 to June 2024. The preparation for accreditation began in May 2022, following the appointment of the former Vice Chancellor. Notably, neither the Chancellor nor the Interim Vice Chancellor was present at the Institute during this assessment period."

The institute had submitted its Self-Study Report on September 9, 2024, which included 70 percent quantitative data, with the remaining qualitative data verified during the NAAC Peer Team visit, said Das. "It is therefore unreasonable to attribute responsibility or blame to individuals who were not part of the leadership during the performance appraisal period," he added. On the way forward, Das said, "This is a significant development with potential regulatory and governance implications. We will await further guidance and directions from the UGC and the Ministry of Education, Government of India."