Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, has been removed as chancellor of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), less than six months after his appointment.
The decision, taken earlier this week by the trustees of the Servants of India Society (SIS) — GIPE’s parent body — comes amid allegations of procedural violations in faculty hiring and growing concern over the institute’s declining academic standing.
Sanyal, who took charge in October 2024 after the resignation of Bibek Debroy, has been replaced by former Bombay High Court judge, Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari.
Confirming his appointment, Dharmadhikari said he accepted the role “with humility” and looked forward to serving “such a renowned institution,” as reported by The Times of India.
However, the move has triggered an internal rift among the institution’s advisory board. Interim vice-chancellor Shankar Das has called the removal “null and void,” arguing it violates University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations.
“The chancellor’s tenure is for five years. There is no provision for mid-term removal,” Das said, urging SIS to reconsider the decision to avoid potential legal complications.
Allegations Against Sanjeev Sanyal Over Irregular Staff Appointments
At the centre of the Sanjeev Sanyal controversy are allegations of irregularities in staff recruitment. According to a senior SIS trustee, interim VC Das approved faculty appointments without constituting a proper selection committee. The trustee alleged that when Sanyal was asked to review these procedural lapses, he failed to respond.
Registrar Kapil Jodh, who had opposed the appointments, was dismissed by Das earlier this week. Despite the internal dispute, GIPE’s officiating deputy registrar Vishal Gaikwad supported the hiring process, saying that “all recruitments were duly advertised and due process was followed.” He dismissed the allegations against Das as baseless and maintained that Sanyal continues to hold the position of chancellor.
Declining Academic Standards at GIPE
SIS president Damodar Sahoo, in a letter to Sanyal, pointed to the institute’s downgrade to a ‘B’ grade in the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) ratings. He criticised Sanyal for failing to present a clear roadmap for improvement. “We are pained to see GIPE’s decline. There is no concrete plan of action from you,” Sahoo wrote.
GIPE has been plagued by leadership strife in recent months. During Bibek Debroy’s tenure, a dispute emerged over the continuation of then VC Ajit Ranade. Debroy sought Ranade’s removal, a decision Sanyal later reversed. However, Ranade resigned in November 2024, leading to the appointment of Shankar Das as interim VC.
As the institute finds itself caught in a legal and administrative limbo, questions loom over the legitimacy of the chancellor’s ouster and the path forward for one of India’s oldest research institutes in economics.
