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The IIT Delhi Alumni Association on Monday backed the current Director Raghunath K Shevgaonkar and passed a resolution requesting him to continue leading the institution.
“We, the IIT Delhi Alumni Association (IITD AA) hereby resolve that the autonomy of the IIT system, being extremely important for the development of the nation, should not be interfered with by the MHRD, in order to have smooth functioning of IITs. It is further resolved that IIT Delhi Alumni Association is fully behind the Director of IIT Delhi, Prof RK Shevgaonkar and requests him to continue leading this illustrious Institution to greater heights,” the resolution said.
A controversy had erupted on Sunday over Shevgaonkar’s resignation, following which the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) issued a statement clarifying that it had not put pressure on Shevgaonkar or given him any direction to release salary dues of Subramanian Swamy, BJP leader and former IIT-Delhi faculty.
Chandra K Jain, Secretary, IIT Delhi Alumni Association, claimed there was “pressure” on the Director to go the way the Government wanted him to.
On Swamy’s dues, Jain said, “The issue is 20 years old. There is no need for the Ministry to interfere in the matter. There was a court case and there was a judgement and the institution cannot run away from that. Why should the Government mediate between Swamy and the IIT authorities?” he told BusinessLine .
Swamy had also tweeted on Sunday: “My young lawyer friend in 2G court Tarun Goomber is preparing a Contempt of Court petition against IIT Delhi Director and one BoG member.”
On Sunday, the HRD Ministry said it had neither forwarded Swamy’s request to IIT-Delhi nor given any direction to make payment of arrears to him and that the views of the Department of Personnel and Training and the Finance Ministry have been sought on the matter.
It later also emerged in news reports that Shevgaonkar had resigned after an explanation was sought from him on the memorandum of understanding between the Mauritius Research Council and IIT-Delhi for setting up an International Institute of Technology Research Academy in Mauritius.
Jain, however, said, “If there was any issue, it could have been sorted out. If Shevgaonkar leaves, the Government will put pressure on the new Director also.”
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