Pune: In a rapid series of developments at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), Professor Shankar Das has been appointed as the interim vice-chancellor of GIPE, with his tenure beginning on September 22. This appointment has been made by Chancellor of the institute Dr. Bibek Debroy.

Economist Dr. Ajit Ranade was removed from his position as Vice-Chancellor of GIPE. Dr. Ranade’s dismissal was officially communicated to him on Saturday, September 14, following the recommendations of a committee established by Dr. Debroy.

The decision came just 24 hours after a fact-finding committee visited the institution to investigate complaints lodged against Dr. Ranade.

Within two days of Dr. Ranade’s removal, Dr. Debroy appointed Professor Shankar Das, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, as the interim vice-chancellor, with his tenure beginning on September 22. Dr. Debroy has directed the institute’s management to ensure a smooth transition for Professor Das into the interim role.

The issues surrounding Dr. Ranade’s removal stem from allegations of improper qualifications for the role of vice-chancellor, the creation of unnecessary administrative posts, and financial irregularities. These concerns were initially raised by the previous Chancellor, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, who had issued a show-cause notice to Dr. Ranade regarding the complaints. The University Grants Commission (UGC) was also notified of these concerns.

In response to the allegations, Dr. Debroy took over as Chancellor and swiftly formed a fact-finding committee.

The committee, comprised of several respected academics, including Dr. Shantishree Pandit, Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Professor Anil Sutar from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and Dr. Siddharth Dubhashi from AIIMS Nagpur, conducted an inquiry into the matter.

They visited the Gokhale Institute on Friday (September 13) and promptly issued their recommendations based on their findings.

In accordance with UGC guidelines, when a university lacks a pro-vice-chancellor, the Chancellor must appoint the senior-most professor to serve as interim vice-chancellor.

Professor Deepak Shah was first approached for the role but declined the offer, leading to the appointment of Professor Shankar Das as interim vice-chancellor.