The Uttar Pradesh government has launched an investigation into the recent recruitment of twelve Assistant Professors at Dr. Rajendra Prasad National Law University, Prayagraj (RPNLUP). This decision was announced by Dinesh Singh, the Special Secretary of the Justice Department.
The inquiry will be conducted by a committee comprising three Principal Secretaries from different state departments, under the leadership of M Devraj, Principal Secretary of the Personnel and Appointments Department. The committee also includes MP Agarwal, Principal Secretary of the Higher Education Department, and Uday Pratap Singh, Principal Secretary of the Justice and Legal Advisory Department. The committee is tasked with delivering their findings within a 30-day timeframe.
RPNLUP had advertised for the positions of Assistant Professor (Law) in March of this year, with interviews conducted between July 22 and July 30. According to reports, the State of Uttar Pradesh’s Additional Law Remembrancer, who is also a member of the University’s Executive Council (EC), requested documentation and clarification from the University’s Registrar concerning the recruitment process.
In correspondence, the Additional Law Remembrancer allegedly noted that comprehensive information about the appointments was not presented to the EC during its meeting on July 31. This lack of transparency led him and another EC member to abstain from voting on the appointments. The concerns raised included whether the shortlisting and selection committee adhered to University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations and whether an academic-score chart in the designated format was prepared.
Additionally, a complaint directed to the Chief Minister surfaced, alleging that three of the selected candidates were former students of the Vice Chancellor (VC). Another complaint, sent to the UGC Chairman and copied to Bar & Bench, called for a suspension of one candidate’s appointment and an independent investigation, citing the candidate’s joining was allowed without the Registrar’s signature.
In response to the growing controversies, RPNLUP issued a press release on August 20, labeling media coverage of the recruitment process as defamatory.
