Mumbai
Updated : Dec 18, 2014, 07:37 AM IST
That Mumbai University has many ineligible and incompetent people in top posts is well known. Dna has written about it from time to time. What's not well known however is that a competent person heading MU's nanoscience and nanotechnology centre quit nine months ago.
Prof Sundar Manoharan, director of the centre quit last February, two years before his tenure was due to end, and joined Karunya University in Tamil Nadu. The director's post has been lying vacant since then.
The state-of-the-art centre is funded to the tune of Rs 100 crore by the University Grants Commission. Prof Manoharan was handpicked from IIT Kanpur to head the MU department by ace atomic scientist Dr Anil Kakokdkar.
No one of high calibre is ready to come here despite all efforts, suggesting a bleak future for the centre as well as the 10 MPhil and six PhD students who had joined the centre hoping to work under Prof Manoharan.
In February 2013, dna had carried a report saying Prof Manoharan was extremely unhappy with the bureaucratic delay, disrespectful approach (of varsity officials) and intimidation by administrative staff in the university. He joined MU in Dec 2011.
On Feb 16, 2014, dna had reported that Prof Manoharan had quit. Senior university officials had however, refuted the report. Prof Manoharan joined Karunya on Feb 21.
"MU officials even convinced Prof Manoharan to keep mum on the issue, said sources, who added that the team of scientists Prof Manoharan had brought to MU, also left subsequently.
Surprisingly, the websites of neither the university nor the nano centre have any reference to the director, except the words "page is under construction".
And though the post has been lying vacant for nine months now, MU hasn't yet advertised calling applicants for the post, admitted registrar MA Khan.
A physics professor, DC Kothari, was given charge of the centre six months back. "I am just an in-charge director," Kothari told dna. However, a circular on MPhil and PhD results on the varsity website signed by him states that he is the director.
MU nanoscience and nanotechnology centre has the best of equipment, including laser Molecular Beam Epitaxy System, Pulse Laser Depositor, Scanning & Transmission electron microscopes. The centre focuses on developing low cost medicines for blood cancer; low cost solar cells, organic light emitting diode (OLED) that would help mobiles and laptops work longer, and to revolutionise chip technology.
Efforts to contact Prof Manoharan proved futile. A Karunya University official said Prof Manoharn would be busy attending important meetings throughout the day.
'He left as he got a better opportunity'
"The allegations that Prof Manoharan had quit because of harassment and bureaucratic delay are false. He left after he got a better opportunity. In February when you inquired about his resignation, I was not aware that he had put in his papers. He had spoken to the vice chancellor, and not me. We have not advertised for the post, but are trying all means to get a good scientist as the centre's full-time director. We didn't advertise when we brought in Prof Manoharan either," said MA Khan, registrar, Mumbai University.
Theatre arts dept too headless
In July 2013, Mumbai University lost another prominent personality, Prof Waman Kendre, to the National School of Drama. Prof Kendre was the head of the theatre arts department. That post too is lying vacant.