PVC Pathaks's detractors mount ouster campaign

vadodara: the reported move of an 'influential' syndicate members' group to oust the pro-vice-chancellor created ripples on the campus on thursday, a day prior to the decisive syndicate meeting. the group is using a report on a scam in the commerce faculty a year ago to buttress its argument. this group has begun a campaign to 'ensure that pvc vd pathak is ousted'.it has shot off complaints and commerce students also plan to submit a memorandum demanding his resignation. the syndicate meeting on friday could be a stormy one with one group demanding pathak's resignation and the other defending him. the former group has sent letters detailing administrative lapses and the 'irresponsible' behaviour of pathak to several people across the country. the letters bearing signatures of syndicate members, including narendra parmar, chairman of the committee that investigated the m r vyas case, have been sent to the ugc, union minister for hrd murli manohar joshi, governor, chief minister and education minister. a copy has been sent to csir director r a mashelkar. university insiders said the move to send it to mashelkar aimed at 'thwarting any move to consider vd pathak's name as the next vc' as mashelkar is the chairman of the vc search committee. chairman of the committee narendra parmar said the pvc should resign on moral grounds. "the committee wanted to maintain the dignity of the post and the university and therefore through a sophisticated and modest language we asked the pro v-c in his wisdom to tender his resignation. he should have done so on his own. any academician who faces such a report would have done that", he says. however pathak said the committee has not asked him to resign. "i was not asked for a resignation. they sent me a report- but i did not think it necessary to resign. i cannot resign on the basis of heresy", he said. syndicate member nilesh shukla said, "i agree that the syndicate members, too, had made a mistake when they endorsed m r vyas' appointment. but later when the mistake was realised we protested. pathak was informed but he could not do much. he has to share the larger part of the blame as he is the administrative head".