Manipur University keeps silent to the discrepancies in appointment of Professor in Teacher Education Dept. Why? Any agenda?

Accusations of serious anomalies in the appointment of an unreserved post of Professor in the Department of Teacher Education, Manipur University, have cropped up after the Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA) flagged what it described as “major discrepancies” in the recruitment process. Despite the gravity of the charges, the Manipur University administration has maintained a worrying silence, with the issue not finding space even in the recently held meeting of the Executive Council – the institution’s highest decision-making body.
According to sources within the university, no discussion was initiated on corrective mechanisms regarding faculty recruitment, non-teaching appointments, or other allegations that may undermine the academic standards of the university. The silence, observers say, raises troubling questions about transparency and accountability within the institution.
The faculty member at the centre of the controversy is identified as Dr. Pavan Kumar Yadavalli, who has been appointed as a Professor in the Department of Teacher Education through Recruitment Advertisement No. 1/2024 dated February 23, 2024. An important eligibility criterion for appointment to the post of Professor within a Central University, especially in Teacher Education and as specified by UGC Regulation 2018, and NCTE Regulation 2017, is a minimum of ten years teaching experience in a recognized Teacher Education Institute.
Besides KSA’s objection, Imphal Times has obtained several documents that raise further doubts about the authenticity of the Curriculum Vitae submitted by Dr. Pavan Kumar Yadavalli during the application process.
In the Curriculum Vitae, Dr Pavan Kumar Yadavalli states that from September 20, 2009, to October 2017, he was Principal, KMM College of Education, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. He draws a pay scale of Rs. 15,600–39,100 with AGP Rs. 6,000. But the Government of Andhra Pradesh approved this UGC pay scale only on January 24, 2011. At that time, the KMM College of Education was a private college. The critical question then is: How could he draw a UGC-based pay scale in a private college when the scale itself had not been approved?
Further discrepancies arise from his academic timeline. Dr. Yadavalli got his Ph.D. in March 2010, but his CV shows service as Principal from 2009 while he did not have a Ph.D. at the time. A Ph.D. is the very basic qualification for holding such an administrative position under teacher education norms. This raises a contradiction whether misleading information was furnished to satisfy the eligibility threshold for the Professor post.
Imphal Times has collected further documents that indicate more anomalies in the appointment, implying that Dr. Pavan Kumar Yadavalli does not meet the minimum qualifications of a Professor in a Central University.
What is equally alarming is the continued silence of the Manipur University administration. The recent Executive Council meeting, chaired by the Manipur University Vice Chancellor, did not even list the matter for inquiry despite the serious allegations. The inaction not only reduces the credibility of the university but also raises serious questions over the integrity of ongoing and future recruitment processes.
If the university does not take up corrective measures and come clean on the alarming discrepancies, Imphal Times will continue to investigate and expose more details. The highest temple of learning in the state cannot be allowed to sink under administrative silence and questionable appointments.