Bandopadhyaya Committee indicts former IIAS Director

Shimla, Oct 27 (UNI) The one-man Bandopadhyaya Committee has indicted former Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) Director Bhuvnesh Chandel for financial and functional irregularities during her tenure, Governing Body Chairman Bhalchandra Mungekar said today.

''The committee has found former institute director guilty of functional irregularities, but no evidence of financial irregularities have been found against her,'' he said at a press conference here.

The Bandopadhyaya committee had found glaring irregularities in awarding fellowships, besides evidence of saffronisation, administrative and financial irregularities in the functioning of the institute during Ms Chandel's tenure.

Prof Mungekar said Ms Chandel was found guilty of not seeking prior permission for visiting a foreign country and other functional irregularities and was reprimanded by the committee for her conduct.

On a different note, Prof Mungekar spoke extensively about intensive research being carried out in the institute.

He said the research work and the seminars would provide additional information to the Planning Commission and the Union Government for formulating the 11th five year plan, which would be implemented from April one next year.

He said the research areas would include poverty, employment generation, human resource development, regional imbalances in growth and addressing the needs of the marginalised sections of the society like scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other deprived sections.

The 2558th anniversary of Mahaparinirvan of Lord Buddha was being celebrated in a befitting manner to spread his message of peace and brotherhood for which the Central Government had earmarked a sum of Rs 40 crore, the professor said.

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