Rajeev Kumar (academic) explained

Rajeev Kumar is now at Jawaharlal Nehru University.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] He is known for his fight with IITs to fix the eligibility criteria of admission through the JEE. A "protracted legal struggle"[6] over yearswith several tiers of the IIT administration, led to in 2010, the Delhi High Court ordering the IITs to reveal such information.[7] [8] Since 2012, every candidate gets a carbon copy of their paper, and the various cutoffs are announced.[9] Due to this activism he was suspended, then compulsorily retired by IIT Kharagpur in 2014; he was reinstated in 2017 by the President Pranab Mukherjee.[10]

Suspension for whistleblowing

In 2011, Kumar was suspended for damaging the reputation of IIT Kharagpur by reporting the massive copying that goes on in the institute, and for exposing a scam in the purchase of laptop computers.[11] The institute had also illegally accessed Kumar's phone records.[12] This led to noted Supreme Court lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan asking the MHRD Minister Kapil Sibal to ensure that whistleblowers like Rajeev should not be harassed.[13] Despite letters from the MHRD and the Central Vigilance Commission in 2013, IIT Kharagpur did not revoke the suspension.[6] [14] [15] [16] In July 2012, the registrar of IIT wrote to the ministry "saying the withdrawal of suspension of Prof. Kumar and resumption of dutieswould adversely affect the academic atmosphere of the institute."[17]

Finally, the suspension was lifted in May 2013,[18]

Notes and References

  1. News: Denial of PhD to whistleblower professor's student: Put issue before BoG, HRD ministry asks IIT Kharagpur. The New Indian Express. 15 February 2020. 14 September 2020.
  2. News: This professor's campaign reformed the opaque IIT admission system. So why was he suspended?. Chowdhury. Shreya Roy. Scroll.in. 2018-08-11. en-US.
  3. News: For "unsung hero" behind IIT JEE transparency, some reprieve after years of torment . Charu Sudan Kasturi . . https://web.archive.org/web/20130501042852/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/For-unsung-hero-behind-IIT-JEE-transparency-some-reprieve-after-years-of-torment/Article1-1052894.aspx . dead . 1 May 2013 . 30 April 2013. quote: Kumar, dubbed by the Supreme Court of India as an“unsung hero” responsible for much of the transparency introduced in the IITentrance examination in recent years
  4. Web site: National RTI Awards Welcome . www.rtiawards.org . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091119080623/http://www.rtiawards.org/prof_rajeevkumar.html . 2009-11-19.
  5. Web site: Sanchit Bansal & Anr vs Joint Admission Board & Ors . . . 11 October 2011.
  6. News: IIT-Kgp top rung in soup again . PNS . The Pioneer . 19 April 2013 . Records obtained by Rajeev Kumar, with whom the institute is in protractedlegal tussle, through RTI showed that (registrar IIT) wrote to BSNL on 10 January 2011 seeking details of calls, madeand received from Kumar's personal mobile, for six months.
  7. News: Court notice to IITs on JEE . IANS . . https://web.archive.org/web/20140326102917/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/court-notice-to-iits-on-jee/article1-528706.aspx . dead . 26 March 2014 . 8 April 2010. The Delhi High Court has sent notices to 15 Indian Institutes of Technology(IITs) and the ministry of human resource development to clarify theirprocess of selection in the JEE.
  8. Web site: Rajeev Kumar vs Indian Institute of Technology . Shailesh Gandhi, Information Commissioner . . 6 November 2009.
  9. News: Irregularities in IIT JEE: Will the new HRD minister offer justice to this tenacious whistleblower? . Vinita Deshmukh . 1 November 2012.
  10. News: Without Armour . Chandrani Banerjee . Outlook India . 15 August 2011.
  11. News: IIT Kharagpur suspends whistleblower professor . . 14 May 2011.
  12. News: IIT Kharagpur violates privacy law, snoops on prof's phone chat . Charu Sudan Kasturi . Hindustan Times . https://web.archive.org/web/20111202013821/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/IIT-Kharagpur-violates-privacy-law-snoops-on-prof-s-phone-chat/Article1-703810.aspx . dead . 2 December 2011 . 30 May 2011.
  13. News: Lawyer asks Sibal to ensure IIT prof is not 'harassed' . Akshaya Mukul,TNN . . 10 March 2011.
  14. News: Review suspension of whistleblower, Centre tells IIT Kharagpur. The Hindu. 16 December 2012. Singh. Shiv Sahay.
  15. News: IIT Kharagpur defies CVC, faces heat . Anubhuti Vishnoi . . 6 April 2013. The HRD ministry recently directed the IIT to revoke the suspensionof Prof Rajeev Kumar, as advised by the CVC, but it is yet to do so.
  16. Web site: IIT-K told to reinstate professor . www.telegraphindia.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130303003727/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130228/jsp/nation/story_16615464.jsp . 2013-03-03.
  17. News: Review suspension of whistleblower, Centre tells IIT Kharagpur . Shiv Sahay Singh . . 16 December 2012.
  18. News: Whistleblower professor resumes work at IIT-KGP . . 3 May 2013.

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