Sat Jan 18 03:17:14 UTC 2025: **University Syndicate Meeting Disrupted Amidst Allegations of Financial Misconduct**
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, January 18, 2025 – The Congress-aligned APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University Staff Organisation has accused a faction of Syndicate members of illegally dissolving a meeting on Friday, preventing discussion of scheduled agenda items. The organization also alleges foul play in the suspension of its president, R. Praveen, a section officer, for alleged financial misappropriation.
The dispute reportedly stemmed from disagreements between the Vice-Chancellor in-charge and Syndicate members regarding the discussion of Praveen’s suspension. The organization claims Praveen, an employee in the academic wing, had no financial responsibilities and received a legitimate Provident Fund advance. They contrast this with the finance wing’s alleged failure to allocate funds to numerous other employees, exacerbated by a six-month absence of the Provident Fund officer during the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of proper record-keeping.
Further accusations include the inaccessibility of the university’s Provident Fund accounts to the State Audit Department until 2022, and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s report highlighting numerous serious issues, including improper handling of employee accounts and errors in Provident Fund advance processing. The staff organisation alleges that an internal inquiry report contradicted the audit findings and that Syndicate members violated university rules by initiating disciplinary proceedings against Praveen without prior agenda inclusion, while allegedly withholding audit findings from the Vice-Chancellor. The situation points to potential systemic failures within the university’s financial management.
First Piper 