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Dinesh Singh (academic)

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Pro. Dinesh Singh

Professor Dinesh Singh, chancellor K.R. Mangalam University is an Indian professor of mathematics. He served as the 21st Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi,[1] is a distinguished fellow of Hackspace at Imperial College London, and has been an adjunct professor of Mathematics at the University of Houston.[2] For his services to the nation he was conferred with the Padma Shri which is the fourth highest civilian award awarded by the Republic of India.[3][4]

Early life and background

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Dinesh Singh earned his B.sc.(Hons. – Maths) in 1975 and M.A. (Maths) in 1977 from St. Stephen's College, followed by M.Phil (Maths) in 1978 from the University of Delhi. He did a PhD in Math from Imperial College London in 1981.[5][6] He holds numerous honorary doctorates some of them being awarded by University of Edinburgh, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, University College Cork, Ireland,[6] and University of Houston.[7]

Career

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Singh started his career as Lecturer at St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi in 1981. Thereafter he joined the Department of Mathematics, University of Delhi in 1987. He was Head of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Delhi from December, 2004 to September, 2005. He served the University of Delhi as a Director, South Campus from 2005-2010. He officiated briefly as Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi, before being appointed Vice Chancellor on 29 October 2010.[6] His area of specialization includes Functional analysis, Operator Theory, and Harmonic analysis.[6] He is an adjunct professor at the University of Houston and has also taught at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi. He is a recipient of Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honor awarded by the Republic of India.[3][4] He is noted for being instrumental in setting up of Cluster Innovation Centre at University of Delhi, an inter-disciplinary, first of its kind research center particularly promoting undergraduate research. He also popularized the concept of innovation as credit.

Awards and distinctions

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Controversies

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During Singh's tenure as Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, the Delhi University Teachers Association criticised his leadership as being authoritarian.[8][9][10] In 2013, the President of the association claimed that dissenting voices were silenced, and called Singh's style "feudal and autocratic",[11] and two years later, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences principal Manoj Khanna resigned from his position, also referring to Singh's "autocratic" attitude. Khanna claimed that colleges were required to submit false affidavits to the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in order to get approval to run BTech courses, something that was denied by the university's spokesperson.[12]

Singh was also accused of financial and administrative irregularities.[13] A ‘White Paper’ released by Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) alleged financial and administrative irregularities in functioning of Delhi University, like diversion of OBC funds for purchase of laptops or flagging off ‘Gyanodaya Express’.[14] The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, after approval of the President of India (who is also the Visitor of Delhi University) issued a show cause notice to Singh regarding these allegations.[15] Singh responded to the showcause notice denying every charge but HRD ministry turned down his request for withdrawing showcause notice.[16] Noted Academics including ex-President of the Indian National Science Academy, Krishan Lal, former Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, SK Brahmachari, Keki N Daruwallla, ex-Vice President of the Indian Academy of Sciences and a host of academics from JNU, Jamia and Banaras Hindu University and Ex-DU Vice-Chancellor "backed" Prof. Dinesh Singh raising concern over the manner in which, "the autonomy of the university was being compromised".[17]

The government decided not to process his reply to the showcause notice as he had barely few months left in his tenure and few senior Cabinet ministers pleaded for no action against him in order for him to finish his full term.[18]

The HRD ministry, on 7 October 2015, requested the Visitor to send Dinesh Singh on 'forced leave' on the charge that Dinesh Singh tried to derail the process of appointment of his successor.[19][20] However, the HRD ministry had to withdraw the request as the Visitor Pranab Mukherjee was not convinced if the DU VC should be punished with barely 20 days left of his term.[21][22] The Visitor asked Dinesh Singh not to continue for a single day beyond the last day of his term.[23] However, Dinesh Singh denied the charge of intentionally derailing the process of appointment of his successor and asserted that he will not continue a day beyond his tenure as is being speculated.[24] In spite of just 20-odd days left for the completion of his term, a large number of teachers and students came out to protest in front of the Vice Regal Lodge demanding his ouster. [25] Not only did the activists of National Democratic Teachers' Front and Academics for Action and Development (Rathi) protest against Dinesh Singh.[25] but the demand for the removal of Dinesh Singh has seen the archrivals Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF) and Academics for Action and Development (AAD) to join anti-VC protests by Delhi University Teachers Association. J Khuntiya, chairman, AAD (Rathi) alleged that the delay has been intentional to ensure that Umesh Rai, a member of the team of Dinesh Singh becomes eligible for selection.[26] One of the names included by Dinesh Singh in the search committee for the selection of new Vice-Chancellor is Vinod Rai. [27]

DUTA has also recently charged Singh with plagiarism and has sought investigation into these plagiarism charges against him.[28][29][30]

Singh was instrumental in initiating Four Year Undergraduate Program (FYUP) which met with a lot of resistance from different quarters, after which the programme was scrapped as per the directives of the University Grant Commission(UGC) .[31] Thereafter, Singh announced his resignation [32] but later retracted it.[33]

References

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  1. ^ "Vice Chancellor". University of Delhi. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  2. ^ "Postdoctorals, Adjunct and Research Faculty - University of Houston". uh.edu. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Full list of Padma awardees". April 2014.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Padma Shri to DU V-C evokes sharp reactions
  5. ^ Sonali Acharjee (31 May 2012). "How I made it: Dr. Dinesh Singh". India Today. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Prof Dinesh Singh Profile" (PDF). University of Delhi. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  7. ^ "UH to Confer 4,939 Degrees During Spring 2014 Commencement".
  8. ^ TNN (13 May 2013). "Delhi University Teachers Association bays for Dinesh Singh's blood". Times of India.
  9. ^ SNN (13 October 2015). "DUTA wants action against 'autocratic' VC". The Statesman.
  10. ^ ANI (25 June 2014). "Dinesh Singh acting like terrorist, has taken university hostage, says President of Delhi University Teacher's Association". DNA.
  11. ^ Namita Nair, Indrani Dasgupta (20 April 2013). "Dissent suppressed in DU by 'feudal, autocratic' VC". Sunday Guardian.
  12. ^ Heena Kausar (24 April 2015). "Calling DU V-C autocratic, officiating principal resigns". The Hindu.
  13. ^ "Dinesh Singh's controversial tenure as DU VC to end tomorrow". Business Standard. 27 October 2015.
  14. ^ "HRD ministry questions DU V-C's conduct". Millennium Post. 1 January 2015.
  15. ^ Mukul, Akshaya (19 March 2015). "Endgame begins for DU VC as govt serves show-cause notice on him". Times of India.
  16. ^ Press Trust Of India (10 April 2015). "HRD min turns down DU VC's request for withdrawing showcause". Business Standard.
  17. ^ "Academics and ex-DU Vice Chancellor back Dinesh Singh". dnaindia.com. Diligent Media Corporation. 9 April 2015.
  18. ^ Akshaya Mukul (1 October 2015). "VC's name dropped from Prez trip". Times of India.
  19. ^ Akshaya Mukul (8 October 2015). "President 'not convinced', HRD ministry withdraws file on 'forced leave' for DU VC Dinesh Singh". Times of India.
  20. ^ Abantika Ghosh, Ritika Chopra (8 October 2015). "Put Delhi University Vice Chancellor on compulsory wait, HRD tells President". Indian Express.
  21. ^ Akshaya Mukul (8 October 2015). "President 'not convinced', HRD ministry withdraws file on 'forced leave' for DU VC Dinesh Singh". Times of India.
  22. ^ Ritika Chopra (8 October 2015). "DU VC Dinesh Singh: Resignation only graceful end to his controversial tenure". Indian Express.[permanent dead link]
  23. ^ manash pratim gohain (9 October 2015). "DU VC to stay in office till end of tenure". Times of India.
  24. ^ "Prez asks Delhi Univ to send new name for VC search panel". Zee News. 9 October 2015.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b "Clamour for ouster of Singh grows". Times of India. 10 October 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  26. ^ manash pratim gohain = (10 October 2015). "Teachers slam varsity's 'mistake' of choosing ex-Isro chief for post". Times of India.
  27. ^ anubhuti vishnoi (8 October 2015). "Delhi University has to wait for its new VC after K Kasturirangan dropped from search panel". Economic Times.
  28. ^ S.N., Vijetha (10 October 2014). "DUTA seeks investigation into plagiarism charges against V-C". The Hindu.
  29. ^ "DU teachers seek probe against VC". Indian Express. 9 October 2014.
  30. ^ "Investigate Plagiarism Charges against DU VC". Deccan Herald.
  31. ^ Pratim Gohain, Manash (27 June 2014). "Delhi University rolls back four-year undergraduate programme, VC Dinesh Singh says". Times of India.
  32. ^ Pratim Gohain, Manash (24 June 2014). "FYUP row: Delhi University VC Dinesh Singh resigns". Times of India.
  33. ^ S.N., Vijetha (24 June 2014). "Confusion over DU VC's resignation". The Hindu.
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