Prabhu Dev rubbishes contention

Responding to the government’s show-cause notice, Bangalore University (BU) vice-chancellor N Prabhu Dev has defended his decision of conducting syndicate meetings through circulation.

The higher education department had, on September 8, served him the notice, asking why the decisions taken in the syndicate meetings held through circulation should not be cancelled. The department’s contention is that meetings can be held through circulation—in such meetings, agenda is sent to members and their inputs are received through post—only in
emergency situation and Prabhu Dev had misused the provision.

The department had sought a response to the notice within seven days it was issued. Prabhu Dev’s reply arrived on the eighth day.

In his two-page-long reply, he defended conducting meetings through circulation by citing statute number 15.17 of the university. He stated that the statute gives him the right to conduct syndicate meetings through circulation. Further, he has mentioned that if the higher education department wants more clarification, he should be given more time and he would meet the official concerned with his legal advisor.

The department officials are not impressed with the v-c’s reply. According to an official, the statute Prabhu Dev is citing is archaic and was framed when the senate used to exist. The revised statute, formed in 2009, was sent to the government for approval, but was sent back to the university for rectification. Nevertheless, the official said, the old statute could be referred to only in times of emergency and Prabhu Dev was wrong in using this statute to conduct meetings through circulation.

Decisions to be cancelled
Notwithstanding the BU v-c’s reply to the notice, the higher education department is going to cancel the decisions taken in the meetings that were held through circulation. An order regarding this will be issued in a few days, the official said.

In his reply to the notice, Prabhu Dev has highlighted that most of the decisions taken in the meetings that were held through circulation have already been implemented. To this, the higher education department official said these decisions have to be reviewed in the next syndicate meeting. Only those decisions that are approved will continue to be in effect.