NEW DELHI – The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday raidedthe prestigious Indian National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Puneafter registering a case against its principal Om Prakash Shukla and fourfaculty members for allegedly exaggerating academic records for appointmentas teaching staff in the institute, officials said.
Others booked along with Shukla include Professor of political scienceJagmohan Meher, Associate Professor (chemistry) Vanita Puri, AssociateProfessor (Mathematics) Rajeev Bansal and Head of Department (Chemistry)Maheswar Roy, besides unidentified officials of the UPSC and HQ-IntegratedDefence Staff of the Defence Ministry, they said.
The agency had registered a preliminary enquiry in 2017 on the basis ofallegations that 13 faculty members of the academy were appointed in spiteof being ineligible.
“Searches are being conducted today at the premises including office andresidences of accused which led to recovery of incriminating documents,”CBI Spokesperson R K Gaur said in a statement.
It was alleged that these academicians had secured their appointments inconnivance with the unknown officials of the Union Public ServiceCommission and HQ-Integrated Defence Staff (HQ-IDS) of the Defence Ministry.
The teaching posts on which these accused were appointed are civilianpositions for which selection is done by the UPSC. On the recommendation ofthe UPSC, the Defence Ministry makes the appointment, they said.
During the course of enquiry, the agency found that during the period2007-08 and 2012-13, Shukla (who had joined as Professor now thePrincipal), Meher, Puri and Bansal and other unidentified faculty membersallegedly got selected as teaching staff in the NDA without possessingmandatory teaching and research experience, the officials said.
After nearly a year-long enquiry, the CBI converted the PE into an FIRalleging that they had secured the positions on the basis of forged andfalse certificates indicating their experience and “exaggerated” AcademicPerformance Indicator (API) score, which was introduced as one of thequalifying parameter by the Defence Ministry in 2011 in addition to alreadyexisting educational qualifications and experience.
The API score is calculated on the basis of research publications,presentation of papers in seminars, training courses attended etc.
The agency has alleged Shukla not only claimed exaggerated API during hisselection as Professor and Principal at the NDA, but also certified andsent to the UPSC inflated API score sheet of Meher during his selection asProfessor in 2012.
It is also alleged that officials of the UPSC handling the process did notverify or cross check the API score sheet of Meher before shortlisting himfor the interview and recommending his name to the Defence Ministry forselection.
Similar modus operandi was also allegedly adopted by Puri during herselection as Associate Professor in 2012 and her exaggerated API score wascertified by Shukla and Roy.
In the case of Bansal, Shukla endorsed inflated API scores which were notcross checked by the UPSC officials, it alleged.
Shukla was recently admonished by the Central Information Commission for”highhandedness” forcing an ad hoc faculty member in 2013 to withdraw herRTI application in which she had questioned the officials of IDS for agerelaxation given to an applicant for appointment as faculty in NDA.
Calling it an apparent misuse of position and power, InformationCommissioner Divya Prakash Sinha in his order on June 1 had said thatShukla interfered with a citizen’s right to information merely by virtue ofthe citizen being subordinate to him under extant service rules at therelevant time terming it akin to interfering with a citizen’sconstitutional right to freedom.
“Commandant, National Defence Academy will ensure that the instant order isserved upon the concerned Initiating Authority for incorporating the aboveadverse remarks of the Commission in the APAR 2018-19 of O P Shukla,Principal, NDA,” Sinha directed in his order.