New Delhi: The appointment of known Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh sympathiser Sanjay Dwivedi as the Director General of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), a premier institute for media journalism, has been challenged on the grounds that he is not qualified to hold the post.
‘New IIMC DG falsified educational qualification, experience’
A complaint sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Ashutosh Mishra, whose case challenging Dwivedi’s educational qualification and work experience is still pending before the Madhya Pradesh high court, has stated that not only was he not qualified for the post, he had also falsified his various qualifications and experience certificates.
Dwivedi’s appointment as the new director general of IIMC, an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, was announced on July 1. A Department of Personnel order said the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet had approved his appointment on a direct recruitment basis for a period of three years.
Dwivedi finally took charge as DG of IIMC today. Meanwhile, a case filed by Mishra against his appointment is due to come up in the Delhi high court on July 14.
Post vacant since June 2019
The post had been lying vacant for over a year since June 1, 2019 when senior journalist K.G. Suresh completed his tenure. Thereafter, K.S. Dhatwalia, principal director general, Press Information Bureau, held the additional charge of the post.
The candidates were shortlisted on the basis of applications received following an advertisement issued last year.
In November 2019, the I&B ministry notified the selection committee comprising ANI CEO Sanjiv Prakash, former journalist Kanchan Gupta, advisor to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Ashok Kumar Tandon, I&B Secretary Amit Khare and DG PIB Dhatwalia.
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‘Not qualified to be lecturer, let alone DG IIMC’
In the letter to Modi, while challenging the appointment of Dwivedi as DG of IIMC, which runs various diploma and post graduate diploma courses, Mishra stated that he would like to bring forth some “facts” about the appointee.
Mishra stated that a case against Dwivedi’s appointment as Reader at Makhanlal Chaturvedi Patrakarita University (MCRPV), Bhopal was still going on at Madhya Pradesh high court in Jabalpur vide writ petition No. 12660 of 2015. He insisted that Dwivedi was not a PhD but had still been appointed as Reader at MCRPV and later promoted to professor despite having not obtained a PhD.
Thereafter, Mishra also wrote that Dwivedi was given charge as vice-chancellor of the same University (without a PhD) and has now been selected as the DG of IIMC.
Shivraj made Dwivedi a university V-C upon return to power in MP
Incidentally, Dwivedi was made V-C by the Shivraj Singh Chauhan government in May this year soon after it returned to power in Madhya Pradesh after BJP was able topple the Kamal Nath government of the Congress with the help of party rebels.
On the educational qualifications of Dwivedi, Mishra has stated that “he does not have UGC/ NET in Journalism and Mass Communication discipline and so he cannot even be appointed as Lecturer/ Assistant Professor but has got the above posts”.
Talking to The Wire, Mishra said “this is not the first time Dwivedi has got a post despite not being qualified for it”.
‘Does not meet 25 year experience criteria for DG IIMC post’
Mishra said Dwivedi was clearly not qualified for the post which requires 25 years of experience in journalism or teaching. “The minimum experience required is 25 years whereas he completed his Master’s degree roughly 23 years ago. So how can he possess and meet the basic criteria?” he asked.
Referring to his representation to the PM, he said, “I again submit that Mr Sanjay Dwivedi (newly appointed DG of IIMC New Delhi) cleared his Masters in Journalism and Mass Communication in 1995-96 (mark sheet issued on Dec 1996 – copy enclosed) from Makhanlal Chaturvedi Patrakarita Vishwvidyalaya, Bhopal and the last date of submission of application was July 19, 2020 (copy enclosed).”
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This, he said, shows that Dwivedi’s “selection is wrong and all those who are party in recommendation of his name (scrutiny, interview panel, clearance of the name) by the ministry/government… their role must be probed”.
Dwivedi quit as Reader in Raipur after appointment was challenged in court
In his letter to the PM, he has pointed out that Dwivedi was “appointed as Reader in Kusha Bhau Thakre Journalism University, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) in 2005 without having requisite qualification and experience”.
Mishra added that since he too had applied for this post, he had challenged Dwivedi’s appointment at the Chhattisgarh high court. He said before the court could decide on the case, Dwivedi left the post in six months and later got the post of Reader in MCRPV Bhopal without a PhD.
‘Dwivedi showed work experience for a period when he was studying’
In his letter to PM Modi, Mishra has also alleged that Dwivedi has been fudging his work experience to obtain various posts. He wrote that Dwivedi has shown work experience as an employee in the print media for a duration during which he was also studying at Bhopal as a regular student in MCRPV. Stating that doing both was not possible, Mishra wrote to PM stating that these submission were made by Dwivedi while applying for appointment as Reader in Raipur and Bhopal.
‘No documentary evidence to support work experience of three years’
He also wrote that Dwivedi had shown work experience “without producing any experience certificate”, and that Dwivedi claimed that he worked for ‘Nav Bharat’ in Mumbai for three years and the selection committee did not verify these facts while selecting him as Reader.
Stating that there was “gross and deliberate negligence” on part of the selection committee, Mishra contended that Dwivedi tried to show extra work experience to make up for lack of educational qualification for the post.
He said the work experience he showed with Nav Bharat – from May 1, 1998 to May 30, 2001 – with the confirmation as sub-editor being shown from November 1, 1998, was not supported by any documentary evidence.
In his letter, Mishra said that this aspect needs to be “probed” and a criminal case should be registered against those who selected him (Dwivedi) and deliberately ignored this fact.
Dwivedi was also an accused in MP EOW probe into irregularities in journalism university
Incidentally, Mishra also noted that the Economic Offence Wing of Madhya Pradesh had initiated an enquiry into “many anomalies of MCRPV, Bhopal and his (Dwivedi’s) appointment/promotion is also one of the issues and a case is registered against him too”.
Finally, Mishra urged the PM to look into the matter “for the sake of justice” and to ensure that “a person who is not eligible to become a lecturer cannot be appointed as Director General of prestigious institute like IIMC, New Delhi”.
The FIR by Madhya Pradesh EOW, which was mentioned by Mishra in his complaint to the PM, was registered days after the Kamal Nath government was sworn in in the state. It was registered against 20 people including then Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication (MCNUJC) V-C BK Kuthiyala and 19 others for alleged irregularities in finances and recruitment between 2010 to 2018. Dwivedi was one of the accused.
The complaint in the case had stated that some appointments between 2003 to 2018 had been made in violation of UGC norms and to “satisfy people who were in power”. Prior to this FIR, the Kamal Nath government had also constituted a three-member committee comprising his additional chief secretary (public relations) M. Gopal Reddy, OSD to CM Bhupendra Gupta, and former Congress MP Sandeep Dixit to probe the issue.
The EOW was then roped in to probe the allegations of “saffronisation” of the syllabus, promotion of a particular ideology and irregularities in appointments.
The Wire has also sought a response from Dwivedi on the charges levelled against him by Mishra in his letter to the PM. This article will be updated if and when he responds.