HRD ministry wants new NCERT chief

A day after shunting out a controversial bureaucrat having the reputation of 'bullying' IIM bosses, the government decided not to give a fresh term to NCERT Director J S Rajput, who has been accused of 'saffronising' the syllabus of school children.

The Human Resources Development ministry has constituted a Search Committee under the leadership of former UGC chairman Prof Yash Pal, to select Rajput's successor, official sources said on Wednesday. The other members are Prof P N Srivastava of JNU, West Bengal Commission for Women chairperson Jashodhara Bagchi and eminent historian Prof Mushir-ul-Hasan - all with Left leanings.

The Secretary (Secondary and Higher Education) S C Tripathi will be the convener of the committee.

Though Rajput's term ends on July 13, he has one more year to go before retirement and was eligible for a fresh term. Former HRD minister Murli Manohar Joshi, who had appointed Rajput, is believed have favoured a fresh term for him.

However, Left academicians strongly oppose it accusing him of saffronising and altering the school syllabus, particularly history books.

Meanwhile, Navodaya Vidyalaya Commissioner Dilip Kotia is likely to go back to his parent Uttaranchal cadre as per the demand of the state government. He too is considered close to Joshi and had served as his private secretary.

Meanwhile, V S Pandey, Joint Secretary (Technical and Management Education) in the Department of Higher Education, who enjoys the reputation of 'bullying' IIM bosses, has been placed under 'compulsory wait'.

Also Read Pandey pays for signing IIM fee cut order

Pandey, as former HRD minister Murli Manohar Joshi's point man in the IIM issue, was the ministry's representative on the IIM Boards. He was accused of trying to browbeat the B-Schools into toeing the government line on slashing the fees drastically.

On Monday, he was kept away from the meeting with the directors and chairpersons of the six premier IIMs in Delhi.

With the new HRD minister sidelining him, Pandey might return to his parent Uttar Pradesh cadre.

"I am sitting at home, not attending office," he told PTI. The term 'compulsory wait' is a civil service jargon for an official without any specific assignment.

Sunil Kumar, at present Secretary in the Food and Civil Supplies Ministry in Chhattisgarh, who will replace Pandey, is yet to take charge. Kumar has already worked with Arjun Singh as his private secretary in the HRD ministry.

Meanwhile, another IAS officer V K Pipersania, who has been the Financial Adviser, is also likely to be transferred soon as he too is seen as a Joshi-man.

The IIM Controversy: Complete Coverage