IIT Kharagpur alumni, faculty to go on a hunger strike

In July 2012, MHRD-constituted search-cum-selection committee selected Prof. Chakrabarti to be IIT Kharagpur's director

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Factuly members and alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp) will go on a hunger strike on July 17, to protest against the inordinate delay in confirming professor Partha Pratim Chakrabarti's appointment as the next director.

In July 2012, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) constituted search-cum-selection committee selected Prof. Chakrabarti to be IIT Kharagpur’s director but Prof. Chakrabarti's appointment is pending Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) clearance. 

"IIT Kharagpur’s Board of Governors has cleared Prof. Chakrabarti once in March 2012 and again in March 2013 of any wrongdoing. CVC is still holding on to the clearance due to unknown reasons, even though the CVC rules specify cases must be resolved within two months of filing a defence statement," IIT-Kgp said in a statement.

In a General Body Meeting of the IIT Teachers Association held on July  11, 2013, a resolution has been passed calling for a Hunger Strike on the 17th of July, and a Silent Procession during the Convocation where Pallam Raju, the Cabinet Minister in charge of Human Resource Development is expected to attend.

The CBI report of 2007 is regarding Phase 1 of the “CoalNet Application Software” project sanctioned by Coal India Ltd (CIL) to IIT Kharagpur.

The project sanctioned in 2001 with a grant of Rs 8.95 crore, involved development of digital framework to facilitate the flow of information between the Ministry of Coal, Coal India limited and its various subsidiaries. It however, missed several deadlines with cost of development increasing.

The CVC learnt of some irregularities---allegations of outsourcing the work to a software firm and inadequate business study leading to unnecessary expenditure ---in the programme and suggested penal action against three of IIT-Kharagpur's professors----AK Bhowmick, R N Banerjee and PP Chakrabarti. CVC recommended minor penalties for Prof Chakrabarti.

While Prof. Bhowmick has become the director of IIT-Patna, Prof. Chakarbarti was cleared to take the post of Director at IIT Kharagpur. Prof. Banerjee has retired and working at the institute on an extension.

IIT Kgp is functioning without a director since July 1, 2012.

Alumni of the institute are organizing simultaneous protests in Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata on July 20, at India Gate, Freedom Park and Park Street respectively.

The alumni movement is being chaired by Mr. Arjun Malhotra, a distinguished IIT Kharagpur alumnus and the co-founder of HCL and Headstrong Inc.