President accepts Allahabad University VC’s resignation

New Delhi: The President of India in his capacity as Visitor of the University of Allahabad (AU) has accepted the resignation of its Vice-Chancellor with immediate effect. The President has also ordered an enquiry against the former VC over allegations of various financial, academic and administrative irregularities and allegations of sexual harassment, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Former VC, Rattan Lal Hangloo, resigned from his post on December 31, 2019, citing personal reasons. He had one year left out of his five-year tenure.

As per a statement issued by the MHRD, The senior-most professor of the university shall perform the duties of the office of Vice-Chancellor till the regular VC is appointed or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

According to reports in The Times of India and elsewhere, students are pleased with Hangloo's resignation.

On the other hand, a section of teachers and colleges affiliated to the university have come out in support of the outgoing VC and have alleged that Hangloo had to resign under pressure from the MHRD. Allahabad University Constituent Colleges Teachers’ Association (AUCCTA) yesterday appealed to the President not to accept the Hangloo's resignation and termed MHRD action an interference in the autonomy of the university. “Vice-Chancellor Ratan Lal Hanglu had one year left in his tenure, but the ministry troubled him in these four years, though no allegations against him were proved in any investigation. He resigned after being constantly harassed, he did not want to compromise the autonomy of the university,” said a letter issued by AUCCTA.

The allegations

Hangloo's tenure has been marred with controversy. The major allegation came when in 2018, a woman in Delhi alleged that she was offered a job at the university in exchange for sexual favours. These allegations, and that he shielded harassers, would pursue Hangloo for all of 2019.

In February 2019, the former HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar also sought permission from the President for an enquiry against Hangloo, based on the reports of the MHRD constituted fact-finding committee sent to AU to probe incidents of campus violence and financial irregularities.

The VC also faced allegations of shielding professors and administrative staff who faced serious charges of sexual exploitation levelled by students.

Write to us at news@careers360.com