GUWAHATI, March 12 - State Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today told the Assam Legislative Assembly that the government will ask Gauhati University to ensure that the enquiry into the allegations of anomalies at the Institute of Distance and Open Learning (IDOL), Gauhati University, is completed within the next three months.
Replying to a discussion during the Zero Hour in the House, the minister also stated that once the enquiry is completed, the government will share the findings with the House.
Raising the matter, AGP MLA Ramen Kalita said that when the enquiry was pending against the IDOL and the then director Kandarpa Das, how he can be appointed as the VC of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University. Kalita also wanted to know the status of the degrees of 21 courses offered by IDOL, which did not have the permission of the Distance Education Council and the UGC.
Kalita further stated that�the careers of more than 73,912 students, who have taken admission into different streams of the IDOL, were hanging in the balance as many of the courses have not been approved by the UGC as pointed out by a CAG report.
�If there is any adverse report against anybody after three months, we cannot allow that person to continue. But, if the person gets a clean chit, then this issue must end. If he is really indicted, then the government will use its authority and take corrective steps. Give us three months� time,� the minister stated.
He added that if the inquiry is not completed within three months, then the State government can bring the matter to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Assembly and it can resolve the issue in two months.
On Das� appointment as the KKHSOU VC, the minister added that the Search Committee, which looks into selection of candidates, had suggested three names and one of them was selected for the post. �We do not know if the issue of IDOL was discussed during the Search Committee�s meeting,� he added.
The minister said that there are two representatives of the State government in such Search Committees, but those people at times act independently and do not keep the government in the loop. He said the members of the Search Committees selected by the State government should represent the government, but they, at times, do not follow the government�s instructions.
