Probe reports scam, Jabalpur medical varsity V-C resigns

Probe reports scam, Jabalpur medical varsity V-C resigns

Vice Chancellor T N Dubey, a neurologist, told The Sunday Express, “I was neither able to do justice to my profession as a doctor, nor was able to give time to my family, based in Bhopal. My resignation is completely a personal decision."

Written By Iram Siddique | Bhopal |

August 15, 2021 3:50:15 am

On Saturday, Medical Education Commissioner Warvade told The Sunday Express, “The inquiry committee was sent some queries but a reply is yet to be received. However, it would be best explained by the vice-chancellor, who is dealing with the issue.”

Examinations of over 3,500 students across 30 courses in Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University, Jabalpur, are stuck after an internal inquiry highlighted lapses into working of a Bangalore-based IT firm that was tasked to conduct examinations at the university, leading to the vice-chancellor’s resignationj on Saturday.

While the university authorities had blacklisted the IT firm, Mindlogisticx Infratec, following an inquiry by a government panel, the company moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which, in an interim relief to the firm, lifted the blacklisting, restraining the government from any coercive order until August 16, the next date of hearing.

In the midst of allegations, Vice Chancellor T N Dubey resigned, citing personal reasons, even as senior officials claimed that he stepped down after Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang set up an inquiry panel to probe the alleged irregularities and had sent Medical Education Commissioner Nishant Warvade to the university to streamline its affairs after receiving multiple complaints.

Dubey, a neurologist, told The Sunday Express, “I was neither able to do justice to my profession as a doctor, nor was able to give time to my family, based in Bhopal. My resignation is completely a personal decision.”

Asked whether his resignation has anything to do with the inquiry set up by the government, Dubey said, “There is nothing beyond the fact that I wanted to be closer to my family. Everything else is baseless.” Dubey refused to comment on the working of Mindlogisticx and the ongoing inquiry, calling it sub judice.

On Saturday, Medical Education Commissioner Warvade told The Sunday Express, “The inquiry committee was sent some queries but a reply is yet to be received. However, it would be best explained by the vice-chancellor, who is dealing with the issue.”

On May 25, Sarang initiated the inquiry after receiving complaints about alleged unauthorised working of Mindlogisticx Infratec. In his letter, the minister stated that students were not getting their degrees, marksheets and the agency tasked to conduct exams did not conduct them in time.

On June 8, a probe team headed by J K Gupta, then university registrar, and comprising two IT experts submitted their report. The report found there was no digital interface created for conducting the examination. All data was exchanged using emails, leading to delay and irregularities in results, as well as mark-sheets, it stated.

It was also pointed out that all passwords and email IDs were handed over to a grade-III employee, identified as Nilesh Jaiswal, giving him complete access. This, the inquiry team noted, was in violation of the secrecy of the process and gave rise to malpractices.

Two months before the inquiry was initiated, the then examination controller in-charge, Trupti Gupta, on April 24 wrote an email to deputy registrar J K Gupta. She pointed out that ntratec without informing the university authorities Mindlogisticx had changed marks.

Based on the committee’s report, registrar Gupta blacklisted the firm on July 5. Gupta also pointed out that despite repeated attempts to call the firm for explanation, they continued to give excuses. The agreement with the company was terminated three years after it was signed in July 2018.

Registrar Gupta along with Trupti Gupta, on whose inquiry the firm was blacklisted, were repatriated to their parent department on July 14, within eight months of being posted at the university on a two-year deputation.

Meanwhile, Mindlogisticx, challenged the order to blacklist it in High Court. The firm contended that all changes made to mark-sheet, as quoted by Trupti Gupta, were done after receiving an official mail. The email, the firm stated, was used by Dr Vrinda Saxena, who held the post of the varsity’s examination controller but was on sick leave at the time.