MGCU was established through an Act of Parliament in 2014, it started functioning in 2016. It runs from a 25-acre school and 4 leased premises; has 120 instructors and 1,300 trainees besides 350 research study scholars.

Many of these centres do not have actually designated faculty. The Indian Express found 5 being ranged from the workplace area of teachers designated as centre coordinators. Three centres, inaugurated with much fanfare in October this year, were opened in small rooms without any facilities, not even furniture.

A cooking area store-room, an office that can not be traced, a plaque and little else, a rented hall that was as soon as a godown, the list goes on. Of as many as 16 centres for research– on subjects ranging from Ambedkar and Gandhi to yoga and cyber-security– that the five-year-old Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) in Motihari, Bihar, has released. All in just 12 months and, that, too, throughout the pandemic lockdown, The Indian Express has discovered.

Front view of the library called after former PM AB Vajpayee opened in what utilized to be a godown. The library has a shutter for a door (because this was formerly a godown).

Disallowing 2, none has the approval of statutory bodies, the Academic Council (A/C) or Executive Council (EC), as is the norm.

Some illustrative examples:

Another Centre just recently opened by Motihari University. This room is empty inside (with no chairs either).

Said its coordinator Prasoon Dutt Singh: “We will get the designated area for the extremely soon. We have actually held 5 lectures of reputed scholars under the centre.”.

*** AIR CONDITIONING– Academic Council; ** EC– Executive Council (Click to view in full).

* Kashi Prasad Jaiswal Hindu Study Centre was inaugurated less than a month ago in a 14 X 10 feet room. It discovers a reference on the website however the space is empty. There are no details on its objective or connected professors. When contacted, its co-coordinator, Vishvesh, refused to comment.

Given that MGCU is a brand-new Central university, the above 3 lie in a short-lived campus called the Mahatma Buddh Parisar, nearby to the primary campus and rented at Rs 4 lakh monthly in October 2021. This momentary campus was once a godown.

The centre of Acharya Bharat Muni Sanchar, under School of Computational Sciences, Information and Communication Technology, ranges from the office of its organizer, Saket Raman, an Assistant Professor. The Centre is focused on Bharatmuni, the sage who is considered to have actually authored Natya Shastra.

While Bhawnath Pandey, planner of the centre called after Maharshi Patanjali, declined to comment, Rajeev Kumar, coordinator of the Pravasee Adhyayan Kendra did not react to call. Said Ambikesh Tripathi, in-charge of the Gandhi Shodh Kendra: “We intend to get a dedicated space.it would be nice to have faculty appointed to the centre. We have actually started deal with full passion and have arranged lecturers of four distinguished scholars.”.

Recently-opened Mahatma Buddh Parisar is operating out of a leased space that measures 250 feet by 50 feet and was earlier utilized as a godown. This now houses an auditorium, a library called after former PM AB Vajpayee and classrooms for education and library sciences post-graduation courses. 4 brand-new centres are likewise opened in different structures in the exact same rented school.

* At least 3 brand-new centres do not even have a physical address: Maharshi Patanjali Yog Evam Ayurveda Adhyayan Kendra (Maharshi Patanjali Yoga and Ayurved Centre); Gandhi Shodh Kendra (Centre for Gandhian Research); and Pravasee Adhyayan Kendra (Centre for Diaspora Studies).

* A centre for public policy education called after Chhatrapati Shivaji was introduced last month in an empty 10X10 feet space once utilized as a kitchen and storeroom. It has a designated planner and no faculty.

* Then there are centres running out of one-room offices of teachers designated as planners. For example, the Bharat Vidya Kendra, developed under the School of Humanities and Language, lacks a shared one-room workplace of two associate professors of Sanskrit.

* A shiny plaque is the only proof of a little 8 X 10 feet room being a centre on skill development. The M Visheswariah Skill Development Centre, under the Pandit MMM School of Commerce and Management, was inaugurated on the very same day as the Kashi Prasad Jaiswal Hindu Study Centre last month. Pavnesh Kumar, the dean of Pandit MMM School of Commerce and Management and coordinator of the Centre, did not react to call.

A view of the godown that now houses an auditorium, a library called after former PM AB Vajpayee and classrooms for education and library sciences post-graduation courses.

2 mails sent to Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, and to Proctor Pranveer Singh on November 17 and November 21, did not generate a response.

A minimum of 4 EC members told The Indian Express that the MGCU administration has actually not taken ECs consent for 14 centres. Only the Centre for Ambedkar Studies (BR Ambedkar Shodh Kendra) and Centre for Cyber Security were started after following due procedure.

A centre is suggested to strengthen disciplinary programmes by supplying interdisciplinary coursework, allowing research and external visibility for the university. It typically includes professors and personnel from several departments. “Establishing simply one centre is a great deal of work and can in some cases take up to a year. How can a Central university manage to set up 16 in such a brief period of time?” stated the Vice-Chancellor of a Central university.

Central universities are empowered to develop Centres with the approval of the a/c and EC, subsequent changes in their Statutes, and providing of Ordinances. A Central university also requires to approach the University Grants Commission for permission to sanction brand-new professors posts for the new Centre.

Inside view of the godown which now houses an auditorium.

This in spite of the truth that as early as May in 2015, Chancellor Mahesh Kumar had approached President Ramnath Kovind asking for a questions against the V-C for allegedly breaching the Central Universities Act.

Officials declare the Education Ministry wasnt familiar with MGCU establishing 16 Centres in a year. This even after the UGC had recently flagged a problem against the Vice-Chancellor (to the ministry) for taking important decisions, consisting of setting up new centres, much after his term ended in February this year.

Speaking with The Indian Express, Mahesh Sharma said: “I am expected to be head of the institution but I am pained to see violation of Central University Act by the university administration. I have red-flagged such infractions to the President in the past … I can not say much on the opening of new centres except that the Act is being violated every 2nd day.”.

Questions emailed by The Indian Express to the Education Ministry did not receive an action. When asked why the university rushed into setting up centres with no conversation in the conferences of its statutory bodies, the universitys OSD (administration) Rajeev Kumar said, “It is under procedure. Some centres were discussed in the air conditioning. We will bring it up in EC quickly”.

Sanjeev Kumar Sharma was selected Vice-Chancellor in April 2019 for the remaining regard to his predecessor Arvind Agrawal, who had actually resigned halfway through his term amidst accusations of falsifying his scholastic records.

According to an air conditioner member, who did not wish to be determined, Kumar was describing 5 Centres that were brought to air conditioning for conversation– four for post-facto approval after they had actually been inaugurated by the V-C. None of the five has the ECs nod.

Before signing up with MGCU, Sharma was a teacher of government at Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut. Sharma completed his term as MGCU V-C on February 2 and is on extension until a successor is selected.

” Even if the establishment of a Centre does not include any new monetary implications, the practice is that the Central university intimates the Education Ministry and UGC about its establishment,” said an authorities.

Said Brajesh Kumar, an external member of EC who teaches at Ranchi State University: “I can remember that MGCU EC last fulfilled on September 12, 2020. So the opening of new Centres was not brought prior to us. Even if the intention behind opening these Centres is to broaden the scope of research study, every university has to follow the due procedure without which UGC might not fund these centres in future if brand-new (professors) posts need to be approved.”.

Theres also an Education Ministrys order, as far back as October 2014, stating that acting Vice-Chancellors (including those on extension) can not make crucial decisions, consisting of changing statutes, bringing brand-new ordinances or changing regulations, consultation of irreversible faculty and creation of brand-new posts, to name a few.

Of as numerous as 16 centres for research– on subjects varying from Ambedkar and Gandhi to yoga and cyber-security– that the five-year-old Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) in Motihari, Bihar, has introduced. The M Visheswariah Skill Development Centre, under the Pandit MMM School of Commerce and Management, was inaugurated on the exact same day as the Kashi Prasad Jaiswal Hindu Study Centre last month. A centre is implied to reinforce disciplinary programs by offering interdisciplinary coursework, allowing research and external exposure for the university. When asked why the university rushed into setting up centres without any discussion in the meetings of its statutory bodies, the universitys OSD (administration) Rajeev Kumar said, “It is under procedure. Even if the intention behind opening these Centres is to broaden the scope of research, every university has to follow the due procedure without which UGC might not fund these centres in future if new (professors) posts require to be approved.”.