Tension Persists Between Raj Bhavan and Education Department as KK Pathak Shuns Both Vice-Chancellor Meetings

Patna: A simmering dispute between the Raj Bhavan and the Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department, KK Pathak, has escalated in Bihar, marked by Pathak’s absence from two crucial meetings held in Patna on Monday.

The first of these meetings convened at the Hotel Maurya in the capital city was organized by the Education Department under the directive of the Patna High Court. Attended by Vice-Chancellors from all universities along with several senior officials from the education sector, the gathering aimed to address pressing issues within the realm of education.

Shortly thereafter, a second meeting unfolded at the Raj Bhavan around 5 pm, where all Vice-Chancellors reconvened following the earlier session at Hotel Maurya. Notably, an invitation extended to KK Pathak to attend the Raj Bhavan session went unanswered.

Governor cum Chancellor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar instructed the assembly of Vice-Chancellors, focusing on the current enrollment status of students across undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as the delays in conducting examinations.

Principal Secretary to the Governor, Robert L. Changthu, dispatched a missive to all Vice-Chancellors last Thursday, requesting agenda details ahead of the meeting by May 3.

Videography captured the entirety of both meetings, shedding light on discussions that transpired over a span of five hours during the session convened by the Education Department, as officials grappled with the financial predicaments facing universities and the imperative to modernize examination procedures.

Moreover, deliberations ensued on the necessity of establishing resource committees for digital libraries within universities and the appointment of regular librarians. The meeting also underscored the imperative of addressing challenges in distance education and explored avenues for initiating self-financing courses, including those in tourism.

IAS Baidyanath Yadav, representing the Education Department, emphasized the importance of financial transparency within universities, insisting that every expenditure be meticulously documented and accounted for.

The discord between Raj Bhavan and the Education Department has deep roots, with IAS KK Pathak having convened meetings of Vice-Chancellors and officials in February and March, to which the Vice-Chancellors conspicuously absented themselves, purportedly under the directive of the Governor. This standoff culminated in Pathak taking disciplinary action, freezing salaries and university accounts.

Despite repeated summonses, including one on April 15, 2023, Pathak has failed to heed calls to attend meetings at Raj Bhavan, exacerbating the protracted feud between the two entities.