Rajeev Sijariya, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University's Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management and Entrepreneurship (ABVSME), has been suspended due to his involvement in a bribery scandal tied to the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) report. The suspension comes as part of the university’s response to the ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption.
What are the allegations against Rajeev Sijariya?
Vice Chancellor of JNU, Santishree Pandit has issued a suspension order against Sijariya, who is "prima facie found to be involved in the corruptioncase related to allegations of bribery for securing a favourable A++ NAAC accreditation rating to KLEF.". The order has placed Sijariya under suspension with immediate effect, awaiting the outcome of both the CBI inquiry and the departmental investigation conducted by the university itself.
Sijariya’s role in the bribery case
Sijariya, along with nine others was taken into the custody of CBI in this bribery case. According to a FIR filed by the CBI, Sijariya was demanding a very high amount, Rs 1.8 crores from KLEF, which is Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation in Andhra Pradesh for receiving a good score in NAAC accreditation. Sijariya, however, as per reports trimmed down his claim to Rs 28 lakh on negotiations.
The FIR further discloses the deal: Sijariya agreed to accept Rs 10 lakh for the chairman, Rs 3 lakh for each committee member, and extra benefits, such as a laptop and travel expenses for one member's wife.
Action taken
The suspension of Sijariya comes in the wake of his arrest by CBIregarding the bribery scam. The university acted on an order from the vice chancellor to suspend him immediately from teaching in view of the investigation. This suspension will be there until both CBI and the internal inquiry by JNU deliver their final verdict.
How does this impact JNU and the NAAC accreditation system?
This incident has raised serious concerns regarding the transparency and integrity behind NAAC processes in terms of whether financial incentive affects the resultant results of this type of scrutiny. The incident would likely push increased scrutiny against accreditation practices practiced in academic institutions all over this country and lead the public eyes to the need for more transparent scrutiny and regulation of such institutional practices.