Pune University Senate Meeting Sees Heated Debate, Members Demand Forensic Audit Amid NIRF Rank Drop

The biennial senate meet of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), held on September 30 and October 1, witnessed heated arguments amongst members and overwhelming support for the adoption of a forensic audit. The senators met at the Sant Dnyaneshwar Hall on the university campus to address budgetary finances, ratify resolutions and examine the general functioning of university administration.

The senate meeting was presided over by the Vice-Chancellor Dr Suresh Gosavi, along with Pro-VC Dr Parag Kalkar and Acting Registrar Jyoti Bakhre, to discuss the university's drastic fall in the Ministry of Education's National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking to the 91st position in its latest report, from 21st in 2024.

Discussion on decline in NIRF ranking

The first day started with a speech by the VC, showing concern over the declining NIRF ranking in the first part of the session. The second half was hot and fiery, with a heated debate between the management council and the senate members. Vinayak Ambekar, a senate member, accused the Head of the Sports Department and the former VC of corruption, misappropriation of funds and financial impropriety.

Corruption by former VC

The senate members were unanimous in pressing the chair to adopt the resolution for a forensic audit of the SPPU finances and pleaded to bring to justice the individuals responsible for corruption.

Ambekar alleged that the then-VC had arbitrarily raised spending limits on revenue and capital expenditures through the timely promulgation of ordinances between 2017 and 2022, without the sanction of the senate or management council.

According to the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, the VC is authorised to promulgate ordinances to meet temporary exigencies and regulate matters by issuing necessary directions for the time being. These must be placed before the management council at the earliest opportunity thereafter and assented to by the Governor within six months to convert into statutes.

Ambekar contended that the VC had repeatedly issued ordinances every six months from 2017 to 2022 without trying to pass them through the management council, thus pre-empting the powers of the council in contravention of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act. He stated that the Supreme Court has declared re-promulgation of ordinances without passage by the legislative assembly to be unconstitutional.

VC gives in writing

Ambekar referred to a CAG audit to prove procurement fraud, such as inflated sporting equipment for a shooting range, a Data Analytics Centre for the Ministry of Tribal Development, UPS backups, AC units and gas suppression systems.

Vice-Chancellor Gosavi, as insisted upon by the senate members, gave it in writing: a forensic audit of the university's finances would be undertaken by March 31, 2026, and the report would be given to the senate.

Inconsistencies in figures of university-affiliated colleges

The proceedings for the second day commenced with a question-and-answer session between senate members and the management council. Senate member Amol Dholap raised questions regarding inconsistencies in the figures of university-affiliated colleges. As a response, Pro-VC Kalkar said, "The university has brought in software to regularise these discrepancies." He further said that details of affiliated colleges were being cross-checked along with a physical verification team to eliminate unregulated colleges, and the process is still underway.

Non-finalisation of syllabi for co-curricular courses

Dr Ramesh Gaikwad, a senate member, pressed the issue of non-finalisation of syllabi for the two-credit basket of 23 subjects implemented as co-curricular courses under the National Education Policy 2020. Nitin Ghorpade, management council member, responded that finalisation of syllabi is in process. Students can select two subjects from the basket of 23 courses, although the policy regarding which subjects from the basket to take in semesters II, III, or IV has not been finalised. Gaikwad lobbied for reducing the size of the basket to 5–6 subjects. The meeting also pondered the financial assistance provided by the SPPU for the students under various schemes. The VC said that the university has approved ₹2 crore for students in need of financial assistance through schemes run by the university under its ambit. However, he argued for mapping of students in need of assistance before disbursal of funds.

Audit Report of FY 2024–2025

The post-lunch session saw Ghorpade read out the Audit Report of the constitutional auditors for the financial year 2024–2025. The Annual Account of the University shows a surplus of ₹20.93 lakh. As per the audit report, the university generated a total income of ₹452.55 crore, and the total expenditure was ₹452.34 crore, with an increase in interest generated through investment of ₹13 crore in the financial year 2024–25.

Use of University Press

Senate members tabled resolutions on budget proposals and enhanced finances by making use of the fixed assets of the university. They also questioned the use of the University Press, as the majority of printing is now being carried out by university-approved third parties. VC Gosavi respectfully objected to the proposal, stating that the University Press is a sovereign asset and cannot be forfeited. In its defence, he stated that the initial book on Quantum Computing, authored in Marathi, published by the University Press, will be released shortly. He further informed that the Master's in Finance programme, which was suggested in 2015, will finally become a reality with its launch next year in the Interdisciplinary School of Science.

Delay in fixing research topics and assigning guides

Karishma Pardeshi, a senate member, brought up the problem of the delay by the university in fixing research topics and assigning guides to research fellows. Pro-VC Parag Kalkar replied that the time limit for fixing the research topics has been cut to 90 days from two years. Adwait Bamboli, also a senate member, mooted opening the sports infrastructure of the university to expert coaches and institutions for training students. Kalkar responded that an MoU has been entered into with Deccan Gymkhana to establish SPPU's Sports Academy in January next year. Krishna Bandalkar, another senate member, contended that sports and cultural courses in the university should be given parity with other departmental courses and that step-motherly treatment meted out to students taking them should come to an end. The VC guaranteed that the university remains sensitive to the needs of the students and offered as much as ₹2 lakh cover to injured students for sporting activities.

The senate session was conducted in the background of initiatives being taken to enhance the university's academic and research levels. VC Gosavi was concerned with the necessity of overhauling university operations. He stated that a workshop involving members from the university's academia, the management council, and the senate will be held to review the matters behind the decline in the university's NIRF rank, with the report submitted to senate members in the upcoming meeting. Student-centred proposals introduced by members were debated and approved, such as backing for a low-cost insurance plan for all registered students and resolutions to re-establish short- and long-range research funding.