By TC News Desk
Agartala, 23rd October 2024: Jitendra Chaudhury, Leader of the Opposition in Tripura, has urged Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu to intervene in an alleged recruitment scandal at Maharaja Bir Bikram University (MBBU), Agartala. In a letter sent on Wednesday, Chaudhury, who also serves as the state secretary for the Communist Party of India (Marxist), expressed serious concerns regarding irregularities in the university’s recruitment process.
The controversy centers around the actions of MBBU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr. Satyadeo Poddar. Chaudhury claims that the recruitment process for 14 teaching positions is being conducted unlawfully and in haste, as Poddar’s term is set to end in early December 2024.
Chaudhury’s letter pointed out that MBB University, established in 2015 as a state public university with a focus on educational excellence, risks compromising its mission due to these alleged discrepancies. He cited a regulation issued by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on March 6, 2020, which mandates that vice-chancellors nearing the end of their term should refrain from conducting recruitment processes in the final two months of their tenure. According to Chaudhury, Prof. Poddar is ignoring this regulation and pushing ahead with the appointments in violation of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) guidelines.
The letter further highlights concerns over the fairness of the screening process, noting that while external experts were invited to scrutinize the applications as per UGC regulations, Prof. Poddar was reportedly dissatisfied with their evaluations.
Chaudhury concluded by urging the Governor to intervene to prevent what he described as “illicit activities” at the university and to safeguard its future as an institution of higher learning. He stressed the importance of addressing these issues promptly to ensure that MBB University remains a sustainable and prestigious educational institution.
