Kolkata, January 5 (NationPress) Allegations regarding irregularities in the hiring process for permanent non-academic and administrative positions at Visva-Bharati University have come to light. Established by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, this central university is situated in Santiniketan, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Birbhum district, West Bengal.

On Monday, sources from within the institution revealed that numerous job applicants have expressed their concerns through emails directed to the university’s Chancellor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission (UGC). Notably, Visva-Bharati is the sole central university in India where the Prime Minister holds the position of Chancellor.

The complainants assert that the final merit list for non-academic and administrative roles was not made available on the university’s official portal. Instead, they claim that appointment letters were sent from personal email accounts, circumventing established recruitment protocols. While the details of appointments for several non-academic roles, such as Registrar, Director of Studies, and Director of the Publication Division, were disclosed, no information has been shared regarding the merit list for Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrar (General) positions.

The applicants further contend that, although the National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the written examination as per the guidelines from the Ministry of Education, the preliminary results have yet to be posted on the agency’s official website. This situation has prompted serious concerns regarding how Visva-Bharati authorities managed to publish the final professional merit list on October 27, 2025.

On these grounds, the candidates have claimed that the merit list is legally questionable and riddled with procedural flaws.

A senior official from the university, speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that, unlike during the leadership of former Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarti, when recruitment processes were transparent, a “malicious group” is currently influencing appointments. “Relatively unqualified individuals are being favored over qualified ones, raising significant concerns about the integrity of these recent appointments,” the official claimed.

However, Visva-Bharati authorities have firmly rejected these allegations. As per sources, the university’s Registrar, in a response to the Ministry of Education dated January 1, 2026, asserted that all eligible candidates were chosen strictly according to the guidelines outlined in the recruitment notification issued on April 17, 2023. The appointments had also received approval from the university’s Executive Council on December 5, based on the recommendations of a duly constituted selection committee.

Atig Ghosh, the Public Relations Officer of Visva-Bharati, informed the media, “The recruitment has been conducted with complete adherence to all relevant rules and regulations. The claims made by the complainants are utterly unfounded.”