Arjuns nominees under new HRD minister scanner

In the first move by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal to overturn predecessor Arjun Singhs appointments/proposed appointments....

In the first move by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal to overturn predecessor Arjun Singhs appointments/proposed appointments,a new selection committee is set to be constituted to decide on the CBSE Chairman. Highly placed sources in the HRD Ministry confirmed that the ministry is all set to drop the names recommended by the previous panel formed by Arjun Singh.

The CBSE has been headless since August 2008 when Chairman Ashok Ganguly completed an eight-year term and his request for another extension was turned down. It is learnt that several other controversial appointments made by Singh will also be reviewed by the Sibal-led dispensation.

The selection committee had recommended three names which included IPS officer Pragya Richa Srivastava of the Madhya Pradesh Singhs home state cadre. She is currently a Joint Director at the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS). Srivastava and her IAS husband are said to be on good terms with Singh.

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Singh had chosen Srivastava over the other two candidates and sent her name to the Department of Personnel & Training which stalled the process and did not take the matter to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet owing to questions of propriety being raised over the selection process.

It has now been left to the discretion of the new HRD Minister to decide on a new selection process or go ahead with Srivastavas appointment. Sources say that with the PMO frowning upon the selection process adopted to zero in on Srivasatava name,Sibal is expected to set up a fresh committee.

It is almost certain that a fresh selection committee will be set up to hunt candidates for the CBSE Chairmans job. The whole controversy about rules being flouted and no interviews being conducted in the selection process is unsavoury. It only makes sense to start afresh as CBSE is a key department with thousands of schools affiliated to it in India and outside, said a senior official.

With Srivastavas central deputation term coming to an end in mid-August this year,the Ministry need not even look for further excuses to form a new committee it will be the third panel formed to find Gangulys successor. The first selection process threw up some six names,none of which were found to be good enough by the selection committee or the ministry. Finally,a fresh selection process was initiated with changes in the eligibility criteria,age bar of 58 and more academic than administrative experience.