Nagpur: In a surprising development, Gondwana University Vice Chancellor Dr Prashant Bokare has been appointed as RTMNU Vice Chancellor after the Chancellor of Maharashtra universities Ramesh Bais suspended the incumbent Vice Chancellor Dr Subhash Chaudhary. This is the second time that Dr Chaudhary has been placed under suspension.
Earlier, on February 21, 2024, Dr Chaudhary was suspended and Dr Prashant Bokare, Vice Chancellor of Gondwana University was asked to take additional charge of Vice Chancellor of RTMNU. Dr Chaudhary became Vice Chancellor in 2020.
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This is probably the first case in Maharashtra where the Vice Chancellor of any traditional university was placed under suspension twice. It was on February 21, 2024, that Dr Subhash Chaudhary was suspended for alleged irregularities. Later, on June 25, Dr Chaudhary had faced a setback as the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court declined to grant an interim stay on the inquiry against him. As a result, it was affirmed that Dr Chaudhary would have to undergo the inquiry. It was an indication that Dr Chaudhary had to face suspension.
Dr Prashant Bokare obtained his Degree in Civil Engineering from Sangli. He then completed his ME from VRCE Nagpur and took Ph.D from IIT Guwahati. He has extensive experience of teaching and research. Dr Bokare has served as the Professor and Dean at the BD Engineering College Sevagram, Wardha and further as Professor and Principal at the RSR Rungta College of Engineering and Technology.
According to reports, the Chancellor in his order has made it clear that a full-fledged detailed inquiry in the allegations against Dr Subhash Chaudhary will have to be conducted. As there is an apprehension that the Vice Chancellor being in office may tamper with the documentary evidence, or influence the subordinate university officials and material witnesses related to his misconduct, which may seriously affect the detailed inquiry, it is necessary to keep him under suspension.
In 2022, Senate members lodged a complaint against Dr Subhash Chaudhary with the Chancellor. Calling the decision of dissolution of the adjourned senate meeting of March 21, 2022 as illegal, the Senate members lodged the complaint against him. Members in the complaint have demanded that enquiry should be conducted into the entire episode and action should be taken against the Vice Chancellor. In September 2022, Chandrakant Patil, Higher and Technical Education Minister had constituted a one-member committee of Ajit Bawiskar, Deputy Secretary, Higher and Technical Education.
He completed the enquiry into the alleged irregularities against its Vice-Chancellor. Bawiskar submitted the report to Vikas Rastogi, Principal Secretary of Higher and Technical Education Minister. According to the reports, the Government was not happy with Dr Subhash Chaudhary for various reasons. On May 8, 2024, a notice was issued to Dr Subhash Chaudhary seeking his explanation on the preliminary enquiry report of Ashok Mande, the Enquiry Officer and Deputy Secretary, Higher and Technical Education Department, on the financial and procedural irregularities indicating that his behaviour was unbecoming of the post of Vice Chancellor held by him, and the same amounts to grave misconduct.
Even after giving an opportunity of 15 days time for submitting his explanation, he has failed to offer any plausible and acceptable explanation regarding his conduct, the Chancellor has noted.
