The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on Sunday denied involvement over the resignation tendered by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) director Raghunath K Shevgaonkar, adding that media reports to the contrary were ‘factually inaccurate and incorrect’.
Earlier in the day, media reports stated that Shevgaonkar, who had more than two years left of his current term, was under pressure from the ministry to release pay of nearly Rs 70 lakh to former IIT-D faculty and now BJP leader Subramanian Swamy as his salary dues between 1972 and 1991. The report further stated that the ministry was also piling pressure on the premier institution to release land for former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to start a cricket academy.
However, the ministry strongly denied the claims and released a statement regarding the same.
“There is a neither any request from Sachin Tendulkar for the ground of IIT for running a cricket academy nor any instruction from [the] MHRD to provide the same,” the statement said.
“MHRD has neither forwarded Swamy’s request to IIT-Delhi nor given any direction to make payment of arrears to Swamy. Views of [Department of Personnel and Training] DoPT and Finance Ministry have been sought on the matter,” the statement added.
The M HRD further stated that Shevgaonkar letter of resignation will have to be accepted by the Appointing Authority and President Pranab Mukherjee.
“Chairman, IIT-Delhi has forwarded [the] director ‘s resignation letter on the evening of December 26 for Appointing Authorities decision following due process. Resignation can only be accepted by the Appointing Authority. It will have to go the President for his approval as Visitor of IIT-Delhi,” the statement said.
“The news item reported is factually inaccurate and incorrect unnecessarily drags the ministry into issues where no direction has been issued by the ministry,” the statement added. (ANI)