Rajasthan Governor’s Action on VC Dev Swarup Sparks Protest: Ambedkarite Collective Demand Fair Reinvestigation

Jaipur- A delegation of the Samanvay Samiti Rajasthan on Tuesday met Leader of Opposition Tikaram Juli and submitted a memorandum demanding a fresh, impartial inquiry into the removal of Prof. Dev Swarup from the post of Vice-Chancellor at Baba Amte Divyang University. The group strongly demanded that the dismissal order be cancelled and Prof. Dev Swarup be reinstated after a fair probe.

The delegation, led by senior leaders including BL Bhati, also submitted memorandums to the offices of the Governor and the Chief Minister, seeking action against kathavachak Giridhar Swami of Jhotwara for allegedly making unconstitutional and derogatory remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Premchand Bairwa and the Scheduled Caste community. They asserted that the SC-ST community would not tolerate such public insults to their dignity and the constitutional office of the Deputy CM.

The delegation’s visit came days after Governor and Chancellor Haribhau Bagde removed Prof. Dev Swarup from his dual positions as the first Vice-Chancellor of Baba Amte Divyang University, Jaipur, and Acting Vice-Chancellor of Vishwakarma Skill University. The orders were issued with immediate effect on the advice of the state government following a high-level inquiry.

The action was taken after a three-member inquiry committee headed by Kota University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Bhagwati Prasad Saraswat submitted its report to the Governor. The committee found Prof. Dev Swarup guilty of serious irregularities during his tenure as Vice-Chancellor of Rajasthan University in 2011-12 and the selection year 2013-14. The report concluded that he bypassed UGC norms and university rules, manipulated selection committee meetings, fabricated minutes, and favoured his preferred candidates while denying due opportunity and marks to deserving ones, including Dr. Premlata Singaria, a Scheduled Caste woman candidate.

According to the inquiry, Dr. Singaria, despite having a strong academic record and research credentials, was awarded unusually low marks in the interview while favoured candidates were given disproportionately high scores. The committee also observed that research papers of eligible candidates were ignored, and selections were made in an arbitrary manner, violating reservation norms for SC, ST, and differently-abled categories.

Following the removal of Prof. Dev Swarup, the Governor assigned additional charges. Prof. (Dr.) Tribhuvan Sharma, Vice-Chancellor of Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (RAJUVAS), Jobner, has been given the additional responsibility of Baba Amte Divyang University. Similarly, Prof. (Dr.) N.K. Pandey, Vice-Chancellor of Haridev Joshi Journalism and Mass Communication University, has been assigned the additional charge of Vishwakarma Skill University.

The Samanvay Samiti delegation, which included prominent members such as Rameshwar Lal Sewarthi, RP Singh, PC Berwal, Jagdish Raman, and several others from the SC community, expressed gratitude to all participants for their solidarity and urged continued unity on issues concerning social justice and fair treatment in educational institutions.