RPNLU Prayagraj Vice-Chancellor issues show cause notice to Registrar for insubordination

Dr. Rajendra Prasad National Law University, Prayagraj (RPNLUP) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Usha Tandon has issued a show cause notice to Registrar Varun Kumar Pandey accusing him of insubordination and dereliction of duty.

3 of the 6 charges in the notice arise from a case brought by a PhD scholar and a fifth-semester law student against Dr Deepak Sharma, Head of the Department of Law and Warden of the Boys' Hostel, over alleged casteist remarks and unfair evaluation of the student's exam scripts.

On September 16, the Allahabad High Court had ordered a probe into the allegations along with an independent re-evaluation of the scripts. The Court also ordered that Dr Sharma shall be relieved from all administrative responsibilities till the completion of the inquiry. However, the Court made it clear that it had not recorded any finding against him or any other person.

The notice alleges that Pandey knew of the High Court's order from September 19 but did not apprise Prof Tandon of it. After learning of it separately, the VC directed the Registrar on September 21 to inform Sharma that he was temporarily relieved from duty. The notice, however, says that Pandey still did not do so.

Prof Tandon then assigned Pandey the vacated hostel warden post. He declined citing family reasons and proposed an assistant professor for the role instead. The notice also says he directed the associate warden to stay in the hostel overnight from September 23, without the VC's approval.

The notice further claims that Pandey twice called Gaurav Tripathi, the University's counsel, to question his authority to represent RPNLU before the High Court.

A separate charge concerns the University's Legal Cell. Pandey objected to its reconstitution over pending writ petitions against recent recruitments as a conflict of interest for the proposed members. The notice says no such petitions were filed.

Another charge involves recruitment. As per the notice, Pandey failed to issue appointment letters to 12 assistant professors the Executive Council approved on July 31. Most Legal Cell nominees he objected to are from this batch and are subject of complaints alleging irregularities.

The sixth charge says that Pandey ignored the VC's direction to act on a report that a pen drive with confidential exam data had gone missing from the examination cell.

As per the notice, these acts have resulted in failure to discharge responsibilities attached to the office of the Registrar and have adversely affected the University's functioning, causing mismanagement and bringing the administration into disrepute. It has sought Pandey's response by 4 PM on September 28.

[Read Notice]