THE COLONIZATION A UNIVERSITY tBIHAE UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS) Prepared'by CITIZENS fa,c:t -finding co m m ittee MUZAFFARPUR PREFACE JJERE is the story of a university treated as a colony of the expanding frontiers of the political aggrandizement of the over-ambitious politicians. The Bihar University has, of late, suffered from unprecedented affliction. Examinations have been bungled. Results have not been announced as due. Questions have leaked out. Good teachers have been victimi­ sed and driven out of the University. Teachers of doubtful merit have been pampered on narrow instincts. Thus the standard of education has alarmingly fallen. Classes have had to be suspended. Students have gone on strikes and hunger- strikes. There have been violent demonstrations. Students have been involved or implicated in litigation. In fact, education has lost its meaning in these parts. Against this background, the Chancellor of the University appointed a probe into the affairs of the Bihar University. This story is completely based on the facts, data and information, supplied to the Citizens’ Fact-Findings Committee, from the proceedings of the Bihar University Senate and Syndicate, University Statutes, the judgements of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the Hon’ble Patna High Court, the letters written by and to Dr. P. L. Srivastava, the Vice-Chancellor, and other authoritative statements and papers. P. N. Mehta Ch a ir m a n A u g u s t 22, 1964. Ci t i z e n s ’ F ac t-F in d in g Co m m it tee NIEPA DC IIID02399 Sub. Natdcnal Systems UnfC; National Institute of Educational Planning and A ministration 17-B, Sri A ur bind o elhi-110016 DOC. N o...^ CONTENTS P ages INTRODUCTION 1 RAJENDRA COLLEGE, CHAPRA 6 Causes and Remedy for U nr^t and Bisturbances 6 The Demolition of a Pripcipal 6 The Liquidation of a Secretary ^ Alleged Mismanagement of the College 11 Remedy H QOESTION LEAKA01 Ot 196B 14 Normal Procedure for Printing Question Papers 14 Procedure for Printing Questions in Reference 15 Leakage and After : Sequence of Events 17 Causes of Leakage apd Fer^on^ Responsible 22 Remedy GENERAL UNREST IN THE UNIVERSITY 31 Vitiated Atmosphere Oh account of Casteism 32 Malafide 33 Iriegular Appointments 34 Manipulated Appointments 35 Huidi^^sfo Ap^€^^iieafli 37 Double Standar4s 42 AppbiAtmehtff tftfough Iiitrigues 45 Readers or AcisideMfc Devaluation 46 Miiw 48 'Proj^i^mm^ 52 Naked Favouritism 53 Conclusive Data and Elvidence 54 Bid to Control Ufiiiversitjr :fe6die3 56 The case of» . N. F. S in ^ 56 A P)ainif)rfj popfcsrefsei to ^ppa^uer 58 Tailor-made Appointoeiits 58 Intrjgp^ a;0id SuHerfil^ 59 Strategic Blue Print 60 Coticlusive S*act8 62 The Graftt of Silholarship 63 Protection to Condemned Teachers and Victimization of Good Teachers. 69 Bungling and Manipulation in Examination 74 MalaMe Appointmentg 74 Favouritism in IStamination Eesults 75 Mismanagetnent of Examinations 79 Conclusive Faets 82 Exploitable aUjd Vl0^Bii:;sfi|ion of Students 82 Political Machination for the Control of the Office 88 (i) (ii) Paqes Manipulations for Control 89 Omiseion and Commissions 91 Financial Matters 96 Lack of Amenities 103 Causes of Greneral Unrest 103 Last Strike followed by Hunger Strike 108 Disturbances at Convocation 108 FINANCIAL IRREGULARITIES 110 EFFECTS m SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENT 111 CONCLUSION 112 ANNEmiRlS 114 Affidavit of Sri Nand Kishore Shanna 115 AffidfiiTit of Sri Dina Nath Singh 123 Affidavit of Sri Trijugi Nath Sharma 125 Affidavit of Sri Chandreawar Prasad Singh 126 Affidavit of Sri Baidya Nath Pandey 127 Letter dated 5-11-63 from Dr. F.L. Sri^stava, to Sri KtiTpTiTi % albir, ISl Letter dated 6-4-64 from Dr. P.L. Srivastava, to Sri Ramanand ^ingh, M.L.A. 133 D.0. No. 2840/VC from Dr. P.L. Srivastava,, td Sri Satyendra N a n ^ ^n h a. 134 D.O. No 2608/VC dated 24th October ’63 from Dr. P.L. Srivastava, to Sri Satyendra Narain Sinha. 136 D.O. No. 2841/VC dated 20th April, 1964 from Dr. P.L. Srivastava, to Sri Rajendra Mishra, Patna. 136 F.I.R. from the Finance Officer, Bihar University lodged in the Town Police Station, MuzafFarpur. 137 University Note. 138 D.O. No. 177 G.B- dated April 24, 1964 from Bihar Governor to the Vice- Chancellor, Bihar University. 140 Letter dated 25-9-62 from Sri K.D. Tewari, to Dr. P.L. Srivastava. 144 Letter dated 10-8-62 from Sri K.D. Tewari, to Dr. P.L. Srivastava. 145 INTRODUCTION account of chaos reigning supreme in tfie University of Bihar for the last one year or sa, Sri M. Anantashayanam Ayyangar, the Chancellor ©f the University, by virtue of the authority vested in him under Clause (2), Section 8, of th^ Bihar State Universities Act of 1960, as amended by the Bihar Act 2 of 1962, appointed Mr. K.S.V. Baman, Deputy Chairman of the Bihar State University Commission, as One- Man I*robe Commission, hereinafter referred to as “the Raman Commission,” to enquire, into the alfairs of the University of Bihar on the following particular terms of reference : 1. (a) affairs 6f Rajettdra College, Chapra with p&rticiilar reference to the causes and remedy for the unrest and disturbances; (b) alleged mismanagement of the college and its finances; and (c) remedies for the proper running and management of the College. 2. (a) system at present adopted by the University in getting printed the question-papers, the causes for the leakage, and person or persons jespansible therefor; and (b) to suggest* methods by which recurrence of siich leakage could bis avdid^. 3. (a) the ge^neral unrest in the University, the causes of the last strike followed by b.]inger- strike; and remedy therefor; and (b) the disturbance created at the Convocation. 4. to make an inspection into the accounts of the University for the year 1960 to enquire into financial irifegularity, if any, and to €x respon­ sibility therefor. In gcddition, the ChanceUor entrusted Mr. K.S;V.; Raman also with the work of studying the implications of tl^^ judgement of the Supreme Court declfiring void portipn^ of -the Statutes and recommending a,djustments in the StatUrtes called for as consequence. Citizens interested in restoring normality in the Uni­ versity of Bihair which had for sbine time now passed through a state of unprecedented tension, formed a fact-finding Committee, known as “CITIZENS’ FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE (Bihar University Affairs)” hereinafter referred to as “the Citizens Committee,” to assist the Raman Commission in its task. m4. Jkahiipatinaih M^hta and ikr. Radhanandan Jha were respectively elected the Chairman and the Honorary JSecretary of the Citizens Committee. The first meeting of the Citizens Committee was held under the Chairmanship of Mr. Palshupatin^th Mehta on the 17 th of July, 1964, in the hall of the Muzaffarpur Dakbungalowi The pJiOminent among those who attended the meeting were :—■ Mr. Pip Narayan Singh, former Irrigation Minister; Mr. Barova Prasad Rai, former Labour Minister; ■ ^ lilr. Krishna iCants^ Singh, M.P., former Deputy Minister; Mr. DwarikanMh I'iwari, A Mif. Digvijaya Marayan Singh, M. P. Mohan Lai Q ^ ta , 5H,L.A. Mr, Majiendra Mol^n Mi^Jira, Member, Bihar University Senate; and Mr. Dwarka Nath Kapoor, Advocate, The Citizens Committee welcomed the appointment of the Raman Commission, and thanked the Chancellor for the institutioii of this enquiry. The Chairman and the Honorary Secretary of the Citizens Com^Mittee were authorised and empoW^ered to receive and collect facts, evidence an^ data to be submitted to the Raman Commission. To advise the Ciiairman in all matters pertaining to the collection of facts, evidence and data in the terms of reference detiermined by the Chancellor and in all matters pertaining to the submission thereof, the Citizens Committee set up a seventeen-man Advisory Committee with powers to co-opt folir members. This advisory Committee consists of : Mr. Pashupatinath Mehta, Chairman; Mr. Dip Narayan Singh, M.L.A., Member; Mr. Mahamaya Prasad Sinha, M.L.C., Member; Mr. Daroga Prasad Rai, M.L.A., Member; Mr. Bhishma Prasad Yadav, M.P., Member; Mr. Lokesh Nath Jha, M.L.C., Member; Mr. Jagannath Swatantra, M.L.A., Member; Mr. Shakoor Ahmad, M.L.A., Member; Mr. Mohan Lai Qupta, M.L.A., Member; Mr. Dwarka Nath Kapoor, Advocate, Member^ Mr, Ritinjanma Ojha, Advocate, Member; Mr. Mahendra Mohan Mishra, Advocate, Member; Mr. H. N. Mitra, Member;, Mr. Laliteshwar Prasad Sahi, Member; Mr. Bhubaneshwar Prasad Chaudhary, Member; Mr. Munshi Dayal Singh, Member; Mr. Radhanaridan Jha, Honorary Secretary. The members of the Advisory Committee advised the Chairman that the Citizens Committee should g^refully examine and scrutinize whatever informc^tion came its way before it was forwarded to the Raman Commission. The individual members of the Advisory Committee were also requested to collect evidence, facts and data strictly in accordance with the terms of reference determined for the Raman Commission, and submit them to the Chairman. At the very outset, the Citizens Committee was constrained to find that efforts were being made to suppress facts, evidence and data^ to the detrimmt of justice. The Citizens Committee was, at first, reluctant to take notice of anything other than evidence, even though the efforts to suppress or lead away evidence was, in the ultimate analysis, apt to jeopardize the task of the Raman Commission. But when the Action Committee of the students of the liJiiiviersity of Bihar forwarded a copy of its resolutions saying that attempts were being made to 8ca3?e or lead away unbiased evideiice ox to coax the students to pwt up before the Raman Commission evidence that might be favourable to the Vice- Chancellor, though not true, the Citizens Committee had no option but to draw the kind attention of the appropriate authority to this conspiracy against justice.