Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A ghost sighting that initially scared people at Jiwaji University in Bhopal turned out to be a unique protest by Dr. Arun Sharma, a professor aiming to expose an alleged ‘affiliation scam’.
According to information, Dr. Sharma, along with his two students, disguised as a ghost to stage a protest outside Gate No. 2 of the university, earlier.
Reason behind protest
According to a news report by News18, Dr. Sharma uncovered that Jiwaji University had granted a false affiliation to Shivshakti College in Morena’s Jhundpura for 15 years. However, the college actually had no existence.
Interestingly, even students were enrolled on paper, and scholarships worth crores of rupees were disbursed for 15 years.
The fraud became even more obvious when Dr. Sharma was unknowingly appointed as the principal of the non-existent college.
Bank accounts were created in his name, and salaries were paid over 15 years, despite no real academic operations.
Upon realizing the fraud, Dr. Sharma reported the matter to the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW). This led to charges being filed against 17 professors, including Jiwaji University Vice Chancellor Avinash Tiwari.
Dr. Sharma warns to intensify protest
After appearing as a ‘ghost teacher,’ teaching ‘ghost students,’ Dr. Sharma has planned to escalate his protest by holding satyagrah (hunger strike) in front of Madhya Pradesh Assembly on March 10 to demand strict actions.
After the issue, Governor Mangu Bhai Patel intervened and removed the entire Executive Council of the university, including Vice Chancellor Avinash Tiwari. Dr. Rajkumar Acharya was then appointed as the new Vice Chancellor.
However, Dr. Arun Sharma claims that despite these changes, the university’s Registrar, Arun Chauhan, continued to grant affiliation to the non-existent Shivshakti College and even designated it as an examination center, allowing the fraudulent activities to continue. Dr. Sharma describes Shivshakti College as a "ghost college," with a "ghost principal," "ghost students," and a decade-long scam involving fake scholarships.
