Jubilee Post News & Views
Special Desk
Vice chancellors of 27 state universities in Rajasthan had a task on their minds after they met Governor Kalraj Mishra on July 1 and left for their own offices.
As the vice chancellors reached their vehicles they were surprised. Each of their vehicles had two cartons of books, with a bill in the hands of drivers. The bill was for Rs 68,383 for 19 copies of the Governor’s biography, ‘Nimitt Maatra Hoon Main’ (I am just a medium). Apart from those 19 copies one copy of the biography was complimentary in the cartoon.
VCs met governor on the occasion of launch of biography on Governor’s 80th birthday. One vice chancellor who did not wished to be named said, “During the meeting, someone took the names and numbers of our drivers.” Governor’s biography was launched by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and the function had Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi.
As per the bill each of the 19 books were charged at Rs 3,999, which means a total Rs 75,981. The total was reduced to Rs 68,383, and this amounts to 10% discount, apparently.
Another piece of information about the biography is the money collected from its sales will be spent on research projects on Rajasthan and social science. The biography has been co-authored by governor’s OSD Govind Ram Jaiswal.
The vice chancellors are but worried for a reason. They do not know what expense will they show so that they can pay the bills for these books. “The rules for procurement are clearly laid out in the Rajasthan Transparency in Public Procurement (RTPP) Act, 2012. Under what head will we show the expenses?” a V-C pointed.
Subir Kumar, Secretary to the Governor, termed it baseless and said, “It is incorrect and baseless.”
Biography details Mishra’s long association with the RSS, followed by the Jana Sangh and BJP, and carries a foreword by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the back page reviews by President Ram Nath Kovind as well as former PM Manmohan Singh, are there. Singh has termed the book a wonderful work.
A page in the book has photo of Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, with the BJP’s symbol lotus in the background. The text on page says: “Let us support the movement to build a ‘New India’. Join the party and strengthen our hands in this mission. Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.”
One of the VCs said, “The Governor has indeed been associated with the RSS and BJP since long but it is inappropriate of the Chancellor’s office to propagate his former party.”
Asked about contents in the biography, the Governor’s Secretary said, “Those who have written the book should know. I have not read it.”
Another V-C, however, says there was nothing wrong. “I have not looked at the book. But if a book has been written about the honorable Governor, then it should reach the universities, though their rate can be a different issue.”
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Bills to the V-Cs give the bank account details of the International Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship (IIME), Jaipur. The co-author with the Governor’s OSD of the biography is Dr D K Taknet, who has been associated with the IIME and the lead researcher of the book is Taknet’s wife Sujata Taknet, also associated with the IIME.
