Where are the files regarding appointment of Subhash Yadav to UGC?
13 Jan, 2014The Ministry of Human Resource and Development (HRD) had asked the psephologist Yogendra Yadav to step down as a member of the University Grants Commission (UGC) after he joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stating that it might lead to a dangerous precedent by politicizing the UGC. However, it led to further controversy as an analogy was drawn between the tenure of Yogendra Yadav and Subash Yadav. The candidature of Subhash Yadav was questioned as he was allowed to continue as a member of UGC despite him being a former deputy chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. It was argued that different yardsticks should not be applied for the similar sitations.
In this regard, an application was filed with the Ministry of HRD under the Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking to get the details of the appointment of Subhash Yadav to the UGC. In the reply, the ministry stated that it didn’t have any records regarding the appointment as the files were either missing or untraceable. The reply also said that the ministry has initiated the search for the files.
In the case of ‘Union of India versus Vishwas Bhamburkar’ the Delhi High Court had ruled that before terming any file as untraceable, an enquiry should be conducted by an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary and the inquiry must be completed within 20 days. The applicant Subhash Chandra Agrawal has now filed an appeal with the Central Information Commission as the mandatory search period of 20 days has already lapsed.