Bratya orders probe into 'bias' in appointment

Updated on: Friday, July 01, 2011

Higher education minister Bratya Basu has ordered an inquiry into a 2005 case of 'dalatantra' pertaining to the appointment former health minister Surjya Kanta Mishra's daughter as a lecturer at Calcutta University.

After it was alleged that Mishra's daughter was favoured over a deserving candidate, Basu has asked university vice-chancellor Suranjan Das to submit resumes of both candidates – Roshnara Mishra and Chandradeepa Ghosh. "We are looking into the matter and I have asked the VC to submit their resumes," Basu said. Chandradeepa had completed her BSc from Presidency College, ranking first class first with 69.3%, went on to get another first class first in MSc with 70.2%. She qualified both the ICSR and NET exams for a PhD from Jadavpur University and did her post doctorate from the University of Texas Health Sciences. Chandradeepa alleged that Roshnara got the lectureship in Physiology for her political connections while academically, she had merely qualified the SLET.

On Wednesday, Chandradeepa met Basu and lodged a formal complaint of injustice. "The incident shook my belief in the education system. Despite having an outstanding academic performance, I could not make it to the position of a lecturer for which an application was sought. The reason was that the daughter of the former health minister, too, had applied for the post and she had adequate support from the CPM though she did not hold any doctorate degree. I stood no chance in comparison," Ghosh said. "When I had applied for the post of a lecturer in physiology, I was confident to make the cut since my qualifications were better than the rest. After the result of the selection was published, I found to my surprise that Roshanara had got the job. She had qualified the SLET and merely met the eligibility criteria to apply. "I never attempted to return because I was completely disillusioned. Though I have a home in Kolkata, I preferred to stay at Vidyasagar University," Chandradeepa said. Bratya Basu's promises and his urge to deliver prompted her to lodge the complaint. "He looks to be promising and I am hopeful that Basu might be able to address the
injustice," she said. Chandradeepa had e-mailed the minister and then sent a letter. "Basu heard my allegations and asked me to submit my resume," Ghosh said.

Roshnara Mishra, however, sees this allegation to be a way to malign her father's image. "What was she waiting for all these five years?" she questioned. "I think this is intentional. She was waiting for CPM to be out of power to bring out her allegations. She could have gone to the court if she thought that she had a genuine reason to complain. When I had applied for the post in 2005, I had taught at Surendranath College for three years. I was on the verge of completing my PhD. I was a gold medalist in BSc and the principal investigator for an UGC project. Why I was chosen over the rest can only be answered by the university," she said. Suranjan Das, VC of the university, said, "I am in Delhi now. If the government wants, we will conduct an inquiry into the matter and I will also submit resumes of both candidates to the minister. The case pertains to 2005 and I became VC in 2008."

Times of India

Bratya orders probe into 'bias' in appointment

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