Registrar questions own varsity’s high NAAC ranking via emails, shunted out

Registrar questions own varsity’s high NAAC ranking via emails, shunted out

Ramendra.Singh@timesofindia.com TIMES OF INDIA BHOPAL07.04.2026

Bhopal : In a surprising selfindictment, the registrar of Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV) challenged the favorable NAAC accreditation for his own university. RGPV was awarded A++ in 2025. TOI has access to a copy of the mail sent by him to the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). 

The registrar in question was removed from his post on April 1. The controversy erupted as RGPV, which oversees dozens of engineering colleges across Madhya Pradesh, faced scrutiny over its credi-bility and ranking. Affiliated institutions rely on the parent university’s NAAC grade for their own standings. Former registrar Mohan Sen had fired off emails to the NAAC on several occasions in the past three months, alleging inflated marks for nonexistent campus facilities and manipulated data in the Self Study Report (SSR) submitted for Cycle 2 in Nov 2024. 

Sen demanded that the awarded grade be withheld until a thorough probe. Despite the complaints, NAAC remains silent. Sen, who assumed the registrar’s role in Feb 2024, claimed in mails that the SSR data was never verified by current university authorities, including himself, the controller of finance, and director of UIT RGPV Bhopal. “These are just a few examples,” his letter concludes. When contacted, the then registrar, Sen, said, “The last NAAC ranking given to RGPV was A++. Several questions were raised from different corners of society, challenging such a high ranking. I investigated the issue and found that even those parameters, for which the university has no facilities, were considered. I then requested NAAC authorities to physically verify the claims made so that the truth would come to the surface. Unfortunately, NAAC has never responded to any of my emails.” RGPV's spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Akela refused to comment on the matter.

Judge breaks nib of pen after signing Sathankulam verdict

Judge breaks nib of pen after signing Sathankulam verdict 

TIMES OF INDIA  CHENNAI EDITION 07.04.2026

The convicts include the then inspector S Sridhar, sub-inspectors K Balakrishnan, P Raghu Ganesh, head constables S Murugan and A Samadurai, and four constables—M Muthuraja, S Chelladurai, X Thomas Francis and S Vailmuthu. 

A total fine of over ₹1 crore has been imposed on them. The 10th suspect, the then special sub-inspector Paldurai, who too had been arrested, died of Covid in Aug 2020. 

After signing judgment on Monday, judge Muthukumaran broke the nib of his pen. 

Jeyaraj and Beniks were taken to the Sathankulam police in Tuticorin district in south Tamil Nadu late in the evening of June 19, 2020, on charges of having kept their shop open beyond the deadline during the Covid-19 lockdown. They were brutally assaulted by the policemen at night and were lodged in Kovilpatti sub-jail the next day. 

Beniks died of injuries at the Kovilpatti govt hospital on June 22, 2020, while his father Jeyaraj died on June 23, 2020. Their deaths sent shock waves and triggered public outcry across the state, and Justice P N Prakash of Madras high court took note of the killings and ordered the transfer of probe to the CBI. 

Recalling the HC intervention, judge Muthukumaran said, “ If not for the HC, truth regarding the incident would have been buried along with mortal remains of the duo.” “It was an act of vengeance by the police. Jeyaraj was tortured since there was an altercation with the police and Beniks was tortured since he questioned the illegal detention of his father. 

The act was committed by the policemen with the deliberate intent to instill fear among the public as two traders had lost their lives,” the judge said. “Where there is power, there should be responsibility. The incident was an attack on human rights,” the judge observed and added that custodial death is a social evil. 

The judge observed that this is not the first case of custodial death and it is also not going to be the last case either. “Such incidents are occurring everywhere,” the judge said, referring to the George Floyd incident reported in the US and the recent incident where B Ajith Kumar, a temple security guard, died due to custodial torture in Thiruppuvanam in Sivaganga. 

“Those who should protect the public have misused their power. This was a case of fencing eating the crops,” he said. Earlier, the state govt asserted that custodial deaths could not be tolerated and the Centre stated that maximum punishment should be awarded to the convicts. 

All nine Sathankulam case convicts get death sentence 

Judge: This Is To Prevent More Such Incidents 

Madurai : All nine police personnel arrested in connection with the custodial deaths of P Jeyaraj and his son J Beniks who were tortured in Sathankulam police station in 2020, were sentenced to death on Monday. Mere life sentences would not be sufficient, as the policemen would have no fear and would, instead, get emboldened, said the first additional district and sessions court in Madurai, G Muthukumaran on Monday. 

“It would send a false message to society. The punishment imposed on the police personnel in this case should be stringent one in order to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future. All the nine convicted police personnel in the case were equally involved in the attack on the father-son duo which resulted in their death,” the judge said. “The justice we got today is justice for all common people,” Jeyaraj’s daughter, J Persis, told reporters. “No family should face the trauma we underwent. We believe judgment in this case will prevent such incidents of custodial deaths in the future.”

NEET PG: Rajasthan HC relief to doctor denied admission over permanent registration certificate Written By : Barsha Misra

NEET PG: Rajasthan HC relief to doctor denied admission over permanent registration certificate Written By : Barsha Misra

Published On 4 Apr 2026 3:17 PM  |  Updated On 4 Apr 2026 3:17 PM

Rajasthan High Court  06.04.2026

Jodhpur: The Rajasthan High Court provided relief to a NEET PG 2025 candidate who was earlier denied postgraduate medical admission due to the lack of a Permanent Registration Certificate.

Referring to Rule 8(3) of the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000, the HC bench comprising Dr. Justice Nupur Bhati clarified that as per these regulations, candidates are given a period of one month after admission for obtaining permanent registration and when the law provides a period of one month, the State Government cannot impose a more stringent condition through the information booklet.

The bench clarified that administrative instructions or information bulletins cannot weaken or repeal any statutory rule and directed the college to grant her admission.

As per the latest media report by Live Law, the concerned petitioner in this case obtained a temporary registration from the Chhattisgarh Medical Council after completing MBBS and was performing the necessary service for permanent registration. However, during this time, the petitioner appeared in the National Eligibility-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2025 examination and was allotted a medical college.

When the petitioner reported to the college, admission was denied on the grounds that the petitioner did not have a permanent registration certificate.

While considering the matter, the bench cited Rule 8(3) of the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 and observed, "This provision has been made with the objective that meritorious students who are in the registration process at that time should not face unnecessary hardship."

In this regard, the bench clarified that when the law itself provides a periof of one month, the State Government impose a more stringent condition through the information booklet.

Terming this move of the State as arbitrary and against the law, the bench said that it was wrong to deny admission only based on lack of certificate. Accordingly, the bench issued directions to the State Government to grant immediate admission to the petitioner.

NEWS TODAY 06.04.2026