Haryana govt takes over Al-Falah University, IAS officer at helm

GURGAON:Al-Falah University, already under a dark cloud after the names of three doctors linked to the institution surfaced in the investigation into the Nov 10 blast near Red Fort that killed 15 persons, will now be run by a govt-appointed administrator.Officials said Haryana moved in after an inquiry found multiple statutory violations and irregularities in the university's functioning, carrying out a sweeping reshuffle of its administrative and financial set-up. The teaching faculty will, however, remain completely untouched.Senior IAS officer Amit Aggarwal was appointed administrator at Al-Falah and took charge on Wednesday. Also serving as commissioner and secretary in the industries and commerce department, he will oversee the university's financial and administrative affairs.

To keep academic work running for the university's 1,700-odd students, the state also deputed a team from JC Bose University of Science and Technology in Faridabad to serve in additional positions. Ajay Ranga, registrar of JC Bose University, will also serve as vice-chancellor. Rajeev Kumar Singh, its controller of examinations, will take over the same role at Al-Falah. Ravi Kumar Sharma has been appointed chief finance and accounts officer, while Meha Sharma will serve as registrar.

Abhinav and Rajdeep have also been assigned administrative duties under the vice-chancellor and registrar."The govt will now handle key administrative and financial functions, but there will be no disruption to teaching. The faculty will remain unchanged, and the university is expected to continue regular academic operations without affecting students. The assigned team will manage day-to-day affairs in the larger interest of the university," an official said.The intervention follows an inquiry by IAS officer Shyamal Misra, which found several statutory breaches and irregularities in the functioning of the institution. It also comes in the wake of a tougher legal framework passed by the Haryana Assembly on Dec 22 to tighten oversight of private universities.The Haryana Private Universities (Amendment) Bill has added a new clause to Section 44, spelling out penalties for maladministration, false or misleading disclosures, and failure to meet academic and regulatory standards.

The state can now stop admissions in specific courses, impose fines from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore, and, in extreme cases, order phased dissolution if corrective steps are not taken within 30 days.Al-Falah became the centre of a white-coat terror module last year after Umar Un Nabi, an assistant professor at the university, was found to have driven a car laden with explosives near Red Fort and blown it up on Nov 10, killing 15 persons.

Two other faculty members, Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie and Shaheen Shahid, were arrested in the case. Separately, the founder and chairperson of Al-Falah Group was arrested by Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.Set up in the year 2013 under the Private University Act, Al-Falah is yet to secure an NAAC accreditation. Officials said the university had exploited gaps in the earlier law, under which compliance checks were weak and enforcement mechanisms unclear.