New Delhi: In a huge embarrassment for the Indian government, former Singapore foreign minister George Yeo, the second chancellor of Nalanda University after Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, on Friday resigned from the post saying the university’s autonomy was being affected as he was “not even given notice” of leadership changes in the institution.
“The circumstances under which the leadership change in Nalanda University has been suddenly and summarily effected is disturbing and possibly harmful to the university’s development,” Mr Yeo said in a statement to the members of the earlier board of the university. “For reasons not entirely clear to me, the Government of India has decided to form the new governing board with immediate effect before the act is amended. This is of course entirely the prerogative of the Government of India,” he said.
The board was reconstituted November 21 by President Pranab Mukherjee, who is the university’s visitor, that severed Dr Sen’s nearly decade-long association with the institution.
“It is puzzling why I, as chancellor, was not even given notice of it. When I was invited to take over responsibility from Amartya Sen last year, I was repeatedly assured that the university would have autonomy. This appears not to be the case now. Accordingly, and with deep sadness, I have submitted my letter of resignation as chancellor to the visitor,” Mr Yeo was quoted as saying in a statement.
PTI cited sources as saying the President, in his capacity as visitor of the university, approved the reconstitution of the governing board in accordance with provisions of the Nalanda University Act 2010. He also approved giving temporary charge as vice-chancellor to the seniormost dean as current V-C Gopa Sabharwal’s one-year extension expired on Thursday. It will apparently be a stopgap measure until the new vice-chancellor is named.
The new governing board will be a 14-member body that will be chaired by the chancellor. It will also comprise the vice-chancellor, along with five members nominated by India, China, Australia, Laos and Thailand. Former revenue secretary N.K. Singh, also a member of the Nalanda Mentors Group, will represent India.
Mr Yeo said that pending the appointment of a new vice-chancellor, incumbent Gopa Sabharwal, whose term ended Thursday, was to stay in place “to ensure there is no hiatus in the leadership of the university”. This was also provided in university statutes and “fully supported by the old governing board”.
“However, on November 22, the visitor overruled the governing board and directed (that) the seniormost dean be appointed instead,” Mr Yeo said. He said when he was appointed chancellor in July this year, “I was told that a new governing board would be formed under an amended act, core aspects of which the ministry of external affairs sought my views on.”
“It has been an honour and a privilege for me to be associated with the revival of Nalanda over the last decade, to serve as a member of the NMG and the governing board under the leadership of Amartya Sen, and to be appointed its second chancellor. Despite difficult circumstances, the university has made remarkable progress through the tireless effort of Dr Gopa Sabharwal and her colleagues... Nalanda is an idea whose time has come and larger than any one of us,” Mr Yeo added.
