Sanjeev Sanyal was on Thursday removed as the Chancellor of Gokhale Institute of Politics & Economics, an official of the Servants of India Society, which governs the prestigious institution, said.
Former Bombay High Court judge S C Dharmadhikari will replace Sanyal as per the appointment letter issued by SII’s president Damodar Sahoo.
In the letter, Sahoo cited the “downfall” of the institute’s credentials as GIPE got ‘B’ grade in NAAC accreditation. It also said Sanyal as Chancellor did not provide a “concrete plan of action” for the institute.
“Hence we are of the view that we would appoint an able Chancellor who would get involved in bringing the institute to its earlier reputation,” Sahoo’s letter stated.
However, late on Thursday night, GIPE on its official Twitter handle clarified that Sanyal has not been removed as the Chancellor. A letter written by Shankar Das, the Vice Chancellor, was shared by Vishal Gaikwad, the deputy registrar of the institute. Das, in the letter addressed to the chairman of the Servants of India Society, had objected to the decision to remove Sanyal. “As per the UGC regulations, the Chancellor is appointed for a fixed term of five years, with eligibility for reappointment for one additional term. Sanjeev Sanyal was duly appointed as Chancellor of GIPE in October 2024, as widely reported and acknowledged, including in his public statement on October 6, 2024, and subsequent institutional actions under his leadership,” the letter said.
The letter went on to say that UGC norms do not allow removal of a Chancellor before the end of term. Das pointed out that any letter or action to appoint anyone else other than Sanyal as the Chancellor lacked legal basis and must be considered null and void.
After economist Bibek Debroy resigned as GIPE’s Chancellor in September last year, Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, was appointed to the top post.
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Debroy had quit a day after the Bombay High Court extended interim relief to then Vice-Chancellor Ajit Ranade, who was earlier removed from his post. Ranade too quit later.
