New Delhi: Scores of students and teachers of Hindu College, who have been protesting against the college administration since Sept 14, marched to the Delhi University vice-chancellor’s office Thursday, raising allegations of admission irregularities, financial opacity and governance lapses.
The approval to run the course and the partnership with IFRA were not placed before or cleared by the concerned committees,” said Chandrachur Singh , the college staff council secretary. Responding to the allegations, Hindu College principal Anju Srivastava said: “There is no conflict of interest. There is no financial transaction or monetary benefit with any knowledge partner involved in the programme. ” On admissions, she said: “The issues being raised were glitches that had already been clarified by the university administration and were not attributable to the college. On allegations of privatisation, she said, “The college, in accordance with the university’s policy, seeks donations from alumni and other donors to improve facilities and infrastructure for students.
The protesters submitted a memorandum to South Campus director Rajni Abbi, in the absence of the VC, seeking that DU temporarily take over the college from its trust and governing body and form an extended governing body. They also sought an independent, time-bound inquiry into the allegations. The memorandum alleged misuse of the college premises and resources for private commercial activities, including courses being run for profit without the staff council’s approval. It raised questions over the presence of donors and private interests in the governing body. “The college has started a perfumery course through the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), where the principal’s spouse is a director. This raises a direct conflict of interest and is not an ethical practice. The programme is run by Hindu College and has several knowledge partners and IFRA is one of them. My spouse, who is also an alumnus of the college, happens to be associated with IFRA. The college routinely seeks contributions and support from its alumni for initiatives benefiting students. As per the applicable policy, visibility is also provided to donors on campus in acknowledgement of their contributions.”