IIT-Kharagpur faculty, alumni & Student plan Hunger Strike

Nice to finally see Institute well wishers standing up. But what feels nice is to see the media posting the other side of the story finally!! Sharing all the links for the same. Also at the end are all the letters that have been issued to members of this movement and also the HRD Minister, President and others.

PPC For Director Movement by all IITians. Do join to support the cause and stop wrong doing being meted out to an honest academician.

https://www.facebook.com/PPC.For.Director

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1. Hindustan Times screen shot.

All rest of the Links

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-07-13/kolkata/40552948_1_iit-teachers-hunger-strike-iit-patna

 http://www.deccanherald.com/content/345044/iit-kharagpur-faculty-alumni-plan.html

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/iit-kgp-to-go-on-hunger-strike/article4922624.ece

http://www.peoplematters.in/articles/iit-kharagpur-faculty-and-alumni-to-go-on-hunger-strike

http://www.thestatesman.net/news/5908-iit-professors--students-to-go-on-hunger-strike.html

http://www.edu-leaders.com/node/3653

http://www.indiaeducationreview.com/news/iit-kgp-faculties-alumni-go-hunger-strike-demanding-appointment-director/10442

http://www.dnaindia.com/pressreleases/1861400/press-release-iit-kharagpur-s-faculty-and-alumni-to-go-on-a-hunger-strike

http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/iit-kharagpur-alumni-faculty-to-go-on-a-hunger-strike-113071500550_1.html

http://www.moneylife.in/prnews/iit-kharagpurs-faculty-and-alumni-to-go-on-a-hunger-strike/201307150458PR_NEWS_EURO_ND__enIN201307158348_indiapublic.html

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130716/jsp/calcutta/story_17119270.jsp

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Times of India

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-07-13/kolkata/40552948_1_iit-teachers-hunger-strike-iit-patna

'Headless' IIT-KGP to go on hunger strike on July 17

Subhro Niyogi, TNN | Jul 13, 2013, 03.01 AM IST

KOLKATA: Teachers at Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) will observe a hunger strike on July 17 to protest against the inordinate delay in appointing a permanent director. They have assured that the agitation will not affect academic activities.

Teachers at IIT had last agitated over pay three years ago.

The country's oldest IIT, which also offers the most diverse academic curriculum, has been without a director or deputy director at the helm for over a year. While former director Damodar Acharya's term ended in July 2012, deputy director Arun Mazumdar also left the institute a year ago.

Currently, the senior-most professor, Shankar Som of mechanical engineering department, is functioning as the officiating director.

Though computer science professor Partha Pratim Chakrabarti - head of the Advance Technology Development Centre - was selected for the director's post in July 2012, the appointment is pending for over a year due to a CBI case in which he was named for irregularities as dean of sponsored research and industrial consultancy.

Chakrabarti was exonerated by the board of governors as there were no material gains involved. He was also interviewed twice by former human resource development minister Kapil Sibal and cleared for the post, say sources.

One of the other two professors named in the case - Anil Bhowmick - is now director of IIT Patna. The other person named was industrial engineering professor RN Banerjee.

The search for the post of director at IIT-KGP and IIT-Mumbai were held simultaneously. The notification was issued in January 2012, following by a nationwide search for application or nomination. Over 60 candidates vied for the twin posts. Thereafter, the selection-cum-search committee selected Chakrabarti for IIT-KGP and Indranil Manna, also an IIT-KGP professor, as director of IIT-Mumbai. While Manna, who was on deputation at Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute as director took up the position in IIT-Mumbai, Chakrabarti has been kept waiting since July 2012.

"Everyone at IIT and the HRD ministry is aware that professor Chakrabarti had no direct role in the case involving the outsourcing in a Coal India project. He was not even associated with the project when it began in 2001. Chakrabarti became dean of the sponsored research and industrial consultancy only in 2004. That is how he got implicated in the case. Since then, the board of governors have twice exonerated him. Yet, for reasons unclear to the entire academic fraternity, his appointment has been held up by the chief vigilance commissioner," said IIT Teachers' Association secretary Ranjinder Singh.

The token hunger strike from 9am to 5pm is aimed at sending a strong message to MHRD on the faculty's displeasure over the manner in which IIT-KGP has been made to languish without a head and the "disrespect shown to Chakrabarti". "Academics at the institute will not suffer. We will only make a point and decide on the next course of action if there is no response from the ministry," said Singh.

Chakrabarti won the President of India gold medal in 1985 and several awards, including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in 2000. He was also honoured with the INAE Viswesvarya Chair Professor in 2007 and delivered the prestigious S Ramanujam Memorial Lecture of IE in2012. The professor is also fellow of Indian National Science Academy, Indian National Academy of Engineering, Indian Academy of Sciences and West Bengal Academy of Science & Technology.

"For the past three-four months, the 400-strong faculty has been deliberating on what to do on the issue. The absence of a director is hurting the instituteas crucial decisions like appointment of the deputy director cannot be taken. The institute is also starting a medical course, an unchartered territory for an engineering institute that requires proper guidance," said chemical engineering professor Sudarshan Neogi.

Ironically, it was at the institute's last convocation that President Pranab Mukherjee had inspired the 2020 vision: IIT-KGP ranked among top-20 engineering institutes in the world by 2020. "It is a daunting challenge given that IIT-KGP does not figure in the top-50 at present and has to overtake institutes where Nobel laureates walk down the corridors. But it becomes impossible without a director as there is no medium or long-term vision," another professor pointed out.

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Deccan Herald

(This article has been connected to many other news media sites)

 http://www.deccanherald.com/content/345044/iit-kharagpur-faculty-alumni-plan.html

IIT-Kharagpur faculty, alumni plan hunger strike

Kolkata, July 15, 2013, DHNS;

In an unprecedented move to protest against lackadaisical attitude of the government, members of the faculty and alumni association of IIT-Kharagpur have decided to launch a hunger strike on July 17. It is part of a week-long nationwide protest beginning July 15.

The faculty and ex-students of the country’s premier technology institute are protesting against the delay in appointing Professor Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, or PPC, as he is better known among the students, as the institute’s next director, they stated in a communiqué to the media. They want him to be appointed the director on or before July 29.

The communiqué explained that in July 2012, the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry had constituted a committee to search and select a new director for IIT-Kharagpur. It chose Chakrabarti, an exceptional scholar, who is also a President’s gold medallist from the same institute in 1985. “He is an inspiring teacher, an outstanding researcher and an able administrator. Prof Chakrabarti is suited to be IIT-Kharagpur's director,” Aneesh Reddy, one of the leaders of the demonstration, told reporters.

Reddy and his co-demonstrator Damayanti Bansal said: “Loved and respected by an entire generation of IIT-Kharagpur students and researchers, Chakrabarti was one of the youngest winners of the S S Bhatnagar Award. He has published papers in internationally acclaimed journals, which are also widely cited. He has also been the Dean of Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy at IIT-Kharagpur from 2004 to 2012 so his credentials as an able administrator are also not in question.”

While sources in the MHRD pointed out that the professor’s appointment is awaiting clearance from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), which is customary for such high-profile government jobs.Though the Board of Governors of IIT-Kharagpur cleared Chakrabarti once in March 2012 and again in March 2013 of any misconduct, the CVC is still holding on to the clearance due to reasons unknown.

“Even though the CVC rules specify that cases must be resolved within two months of filing a defence statement, under the CVC Guideline 000/VGL/18, dated May 23, 2000. We feel disappointed at the excessive delay in the appointment,” Reddy told journalists. While the decision to go for a hunger strike was taken at a general body meeting of the IIT Teachers Association on July 11, there could also be a “silent procession” during the Convocation ceremony in the presence of HRD Minister Pallam Raju.

The IIT alumni chapters have also decided to hold simultaneous protests on July 20 at Delhi’s India Gate, Bangalore’s Freedom Park and Park Street in Kolkata. The movement is being spearheaded by Arjun Malhotra, co-founder of HCL and Headstrong Inc. 

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Open letter from Mr. Arjun Malhotra; 

Chair of the PPC for Director Movement. 

http://www.scholarsavenue.org/2013/07/arjunmalhotra/

Dear KGPians,

As you may be aware, Prof Partha Pratim Chakrabarti(PPC) had been selected by the MHRD Search committee and BoG, IIT Kharagpur as Director-Select for IIT Kharagpur on July 29th 2012. Almost a year has passed and he has not yet been appointed as the Director due to a long pending clearance from CVC. IIT Kharagur has been headless for over an year now since July 1st 2012!

We have a unique opportunity to appoint Prof. P.P. Chakrabarthi(PPC), a person of a rare caliber, to be IIT Kharagpur's Director. He is an exceptional scholar (President Gold Medallist, 1985, IIT Kharagpur), inspiring teacher (loved and respected by an entire generation of IIT Kharagpur students and researchers), outstanding researcher (one of the youngest winner’s of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, he has also published papers in internationally acclaimed journals, which are also widely cited), and an able administrator (Dean of Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy, IIT Kharagpur from 2004 to 2013.)

Today is a pivotal moment in IIT Kharagpur's history and its future as it embarks on Vision 20-20 - a bold initiative to be a top 20 institute in the world in the next 20 years. Such an inspiring vision requires an extraordinary person and a capable leader at its helm. PPC is just such a person and leader. He has the caliber to transform Nehru’s, BC Roy’s and our founding fathers' dream of building and sustaining an institution of global pre-eminence that is dedicated to the service to our nation into a reality.

His appointment is pending CVC clearance. For reasons unknown to us, CVC clearance is still pending despite IIT Kharagpur's Board of Governors (BOG) clearing PPC of any wrong doing once in March 2012 and again on March 23, 2013. Over the last few months as concerned alumni who want the best for the IIT instiution, we have filed hundreds of RTI’s to get to the bottom of the issue. We believe that IIT Kharagpur's Board of Governors was correct in clearing PPC of any wrong doing and is the competent governing body to make such an assessment. Please find the attached whitepaper which includes summary of the situation and the case and documents from the RTI’s etc. You may also read the document at the following linkhttp://goo.gl/zQUjr

On July 29, 2013, it will be a year since PPC was issued the appointment letter! After July 29th, the matter is likely to get further complicated. In an unprecedented show of support for an important and urgent cause, IIT Kharagpur students, alumni and faculty members have started a PPC for Director movement.

This is a first of a kind movement that has brought Faculty-Alumni-Students together at any IIT for a shared cause. And, we believe that the media will have to play a very important role in having our voices heard and in getting PPC to assume the Director’s office by July 29th. KGPians this is our chance to give back and make a difference forever in the direction of IIT KGP. The time is now! Please come out and support the movement: PPC for Director. The movement is being run by alumni, students, faculty and we are planning the following major protests in the next 2 weeks to make our point heard and have PPC appointed as director.

There is a Hunger Strike by over 200 faculty (the official IIT Teachers Association) on the 17th July at IIT Kharagpur. Over 50 alumni and hundreds of students are also joining the protest in Kharagpur. Media is also being mobilized for the same. Please feel free to join us in Kharagpur on the 17th July. Also please connect us with your contacts in the media, or speak to the media directly. Please mail us with your details or details of your media contacts on ppcfordirector@gmail.com. We also have ready press kits which you can share with the media.

The movement is planning protest marches across the country – Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata on the 20th July. It is our time as alumni to join these marches and go forward. Please follow the links to register for the protest marches in your city. Delhi: 20th July, 7pm , India Gate http://goo.gl/yNFBf ; Bangalore:20th July, 10 AM, Freedom Park http://goo.gl/xFRHb ; Kolkata: 20thJuly, 10am Allen Park (Park Street) http://goo.gl/2uRTi if you would also like to volunteer in the organization of the silent marches and for the movement, please email us at ppcfordirector@gmail.com. Also please connect us with your contacts in the media, or speak to the media directly. Please mail us with your details or details of your media contacts on ppcfordirector@gmail.com. We also have ready press kits which you can share with the media.
Please join us at one of the above events, also please forward and share this with your KGPian friends, so that we are all together able to make a difference and ensure that Prof PPC is appointed as the Director of IIT Kharagpur on or before July 29, 2013.

Regards,
Arjun Malhotra
'70, ECE, RP

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Open Letter by Ramnath Mani, 

President of IIT Foundation India 

to the President

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His Excellency, Shri Pranab Mukherjee,
The Presidency of India,
Rashtrapathi Bhavan,
New Delhi 110004
July 15th 2013

Dear Respected President,

We are writing to urge and request you to do everything in your authority and influence to appoint Prof. Partha Pratim Chakrabarti as IIT Kharagpur's next Director without any further delays and before July 29, 2013.

In July 2012 MHRD constituted search cum selection committee selected Prof. Partha Pratim Chakrabarti to be IIT Kharagpur’s Director.

We have a unique opportunity to appoint Prof. P.P. Chakrabarti, a person of a rare caliber, to be IIT Kharagpur's Director. He is an exceptional scholar (President Gold Medallist, 1985, IIT Kharagpur), inspiring teacher (loved and respected by an entire generation of IIT Kharagpur students and researchers), outstanding researcher (one of the youngest winner’s of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, he has also published papers in internationally acclaimed journals, which are also widely cited), and an able administrator (Dean of Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy, IIT Kharagpur from 2004 to 2012.)
His appointment is pending CVC clearance. For reasons unknown to us, CVC clearance is still pending despite IIT Kharagpur's Board of Governors (BOG) clearing Prof. Chakrabarti of any wrong doing once in March 2012 and again on March 23, 2013.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Kharagpur was the first IIT to established in 1951. IIT Kharagpur is also the largest and most diverse of the IITs. Since 1951 IIT Kharagpur has been a trailblazer in academics, research and service to the nation. Its alumni have gone on to establish successful new ventures and are holding key positions in corporations and research universities in India and around the world. It is a pivotal moment in IIT Kharagpur's history and its future as it embarks on Vision 20-20 - a bold initiative to be a top 20 institute in the world in the next 20 years. Such an inspiring vision requires an extraordinary person and a capable leader at its helm. Prof. Chakrabarti is just such a person and leader. He has the caliber to transform Nehru’s, BC Roy’s and our founding fathers' dream of building and sustaining an institution of global pre-eminence that is dedicated to the service to our nation into a reality.

On July 29, 2013, it will be a year since Prof Chakrabarti was issued the appointment letter. After July 29th, the matter is likely to get further complicated. Thus, we urge and request you to kindly clear Prof. Chakrabarti and appoint him as IIT Kharagpur's Director without further delays and before July 29, 2013.

We are sharing a summary outline of the situation below and additional details in the attached file:
In July 2012 MHRD constituted search cum selection committee selected Prof. Partha Pratim Chakrabarti to be IIT Kharagpur’s Director. Prof. Chakrabarti is an exceptional scholar (President Gold Medallist, 1985, IIT Kharagpur), inspiring teacher (loved and respected by an entire generation of IIT Kharagpur students and researchers), outstanding researcher (one of the youngest winner’s of the S S Bhatnagar award, he has also published papers in internationally acclaimed journals, which are also widely cited), and an able administrator (Dean of Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy, IIT Kharagpur from 2004 to 2012.) Thus, we believe that Prof. Chakrabarti is ideally suited to be IIT Kharagpur's Director (please see Appendix A in the attached file for a brief biography)
Prof Chakrabarti appointment is pending CVC clearance since July 2012! The clearance is linked to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case of 2007 (referred to as the CoalNet case), where CBI recommended minor penalty for Prof. Chakrabarti. Interestingly, the CBI report also states that this report “would not to be cited to be relied upon documents in departmental enquiries”.
CVC has used this “unreliable” report to reaffirm the minor penalty. (please see Appendix B for summary details of the CoalNet case and Prof Chakrabarti limited and inconsequential involvement in the case.)
Since 2008, IIT, on behest of CBI and CVC, has asked Prof. Chakrabarti three times about his understanding and role in the CoalNet case. In each instance, Prof. Chakrabarti has responded quickly, thoroughly and honestly. And each time he has not received any feedback or closure from either IIT, MHRD, CBI or CVC.
In March 2012, IIT Kharagpur’s Board of Governors (BOG) exonerated Prof Chakrabarti after carefully examining the case.
It only became known in Feburary 2013 that Central Vigilance Committee (CVC) concurred with CBI, which would mean that the exoneration by BOG was not accepted. And, CVC concurred in awarding minor penalty to Prof Chakrabarti.
It was told that IIT might not have followed proper procedure in handling the clearance of Prof. Chakrabarti in CoalNet case. Based on this, IIT issued a Memo to Prof. Chakrabarti on 18th March 2013 to which he submitted his reply on March 21, 2013. It appears that in a meeting, dated 23rd March 2013, the BOG examined Prof. Chakrabarti’s reply and they took a unanimous decision to clear the charges. The BOG’s decision was conveyed to MHRD on 25th March 2013.
Since 25th March, more than three months have passed but MHRD/CVC have not yet closed the case. It appears that MHRD has recommended clearing the charges, and the file may be with CVC.
It has been over four and a half-years since Prof. Chakrabarti first responded to CBI/CVC instigated enquiry and over three months since BOG again forwarded the matter to MHRD.
According to CVC Guidelines No. 000/VGL/18, dated 23rd May 2000, matters with minor penalty must be resolved within 2-months of receiving defence statements.
This inordinate delay in clearing Prof. Chakrabarti’s name and approving his appointment as the next Director of IIT Kharagpur is causing grave harm to Prof. Chakrabarti and IIT Kharagpur - an institution of national importance. It has led to honest people and of IIT Kharagpur being repeatedly maligned. It is a very depressing situation and has significantly dragged down the stature of IIT Kharagpur. IIT Kharagpur’s growth has been hampered in the last one year, and the morale of the faculty has been very low. Everyone is aggrieved that a honest, capable and dedicated person such as Prof. Chakrabarti has been harassed by the system, and all he had done is carry out his work truthfully and efficiently.
IIT Kharagpur would be honored to have Prof. Chakrabarti as its next Director. Through his association with IIT Kharagpur since 1981, he has demonstrated that he is an exceptional scholar, inspiring teacher, outstanding researcher and an able administrator. He is the kind of leader IIT needs who would transform Nehru’s, BC Roy’s and our founding fathers' dream of building and sustaining an institution of global pre-eminence and to the service to our nation into a reality.
Thus, we urge you again to do everything in your authority and influence to clear Prof. Chakrabarti and appoint him as the next Director of IIT Kharagpur without any further delays and before July 29th.

Yours Sincerely

Ramnath S Mani
President IIT Kharagpur Alumni Foundation India


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IIT Teacher's Assiciation letter to Honourable Minister HRD

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