Alleging that the appointment of Basavaraj Donur as Associate Professor in Central University of Karnataka (CUK), was illegal, Vishwavidyalayagala Hitarakshana Samit and Republic Youth Federation demanded the Union Education Ministry and University Grant Commission (UGC) to conduct a detailed inquiry into the allegations and bring the culprits to the justice.
Addressing a media conference in Kalaburagi on Monday, Sunil Manpade, Santosh Melmani, Hanamanth Itagi, Aswhini Madankar, Baburao Bilagi, Mailari Doddamani and Dharmanna Konekar, the office-bearers of the two organisations, said that Mr. Donur was appointed as Associate Professor for English Department in CUK though he had not had required academic qualifications at the time of his appointment.
“As per the UGC rules that came into effect from June 2010, one should have PhD in the domain subject to be eligible for the post of Associate Professor in the Central Universities across the country. Mr. Donur had not had Ph.D in English at the time. There were two more candidates who had required academic qualifications. Instead of appointing one of them, the appointing authorities in the CUK had sidelined the two eligible candidates and appointed Mr. Donur even though he had not had required academic qualifications,” Mr. Sunil Manpade said, demanding an enquiry into the case and stringent action against both Mr. Donur and the committee that had appointed him.
Mr. Manpade also alleged that Mr. Donur had admitted a student who had failed in degree to postgraduate course in the university using his influence as the head of Department of English, the Controller of Examinations and Registrar (in-charge) in CUK.
“Jerusha Sanjana M., a student, had failed in Kannada subject in second and fourth semester of BA in CUK. The marks card which showed her as failed is signed by Mr. Donur himself as the Controller of Examination. Yet, the student was given admission to MA English in the same university with the influence of Mr. Donur himself as Registrar (in-charge) of the university. Recently, Mr. Donur managed to take the signatures of two Kannada professors, Mr. Vikram Visaji and Basavaraj Kodagunti, on the revised marks card of the student and declared her as passed in the undergraduate degree. Neither Mr. Visaji nbor Mr. Godagunti were the Head of the Department of Kannada when the student wrote her undergraduate examination. The then Head of the Department of Kannada, Prof. Shivaganga Rumma, had not signed the revised marksheet as she knew that the student in question had failed in Kannada subject,” Mr. Manpade said.
When asked about the future course of action, Mr. Manpade said that he and his associates would continue to fight for justice by employing multiple forms of struggle, both legal and street fight.
“The CUK is established in Kalaburagi after a prolonged struggle from the people of the region. When the university was established in the backward Kalyana Karnataka region, we were happy that it would help fight the educational backwardness in the region. But, people like Mr. Donur, who are corrupt to the core, are making everything possible to defeat the very purpose of the CUK in the region. We will continue to fight till the culprits are punished. We will approach not just the Union Government and President of India, who is the Visitor of the University, but also move court for justice,” Mr. Manpade said.
