Amid controversy of illegal appointment of acting (officiating) director in IIT Guwahati and following Gauhati high court’s recent directive to remove acting director PK Iyer from the post, the education ministry has entrusted the additional charge of IIT Guwahati on Rajeev Ahuja, who is the current director of IIT Ropar.

A letter from the Union education ministry to registrar (I/C) of IIT Guwahati, G Krishnamoorthy, on Monday, said Prof. Ahuja will act
as officiating director of IIT Guwahati till a regular director takes over or till further orders, whichever is earlier.

The ministry requested the registrar (I/C) to take necessary action and send a confirmation to the ministry by Tuesday.

The Gauhati high court in October had set aside the appointment of in-charge director of the premier technology institute, Prof. Iyer, even as the premier technology institute was functioning without a permanent director since November last year after the last director of the institute, TG Sitharam, was appointed AICTE chairperson.

In its judgment in October, the court had ruled that Prof. Iyer’s appointment was vitiated by bias and favouritism and had flouted the rules by prioritizing him ahead of a senior professor. The court had also asked the authorities to re-do the process to appoint a new director of IIT Guwahati.

Implementing the court’s judgment, the education ministry in the letter said Prof. Iyer may be relieved from the responsibility of officiating director of IIT Guwahati with immediate effect by handing over charge to Prof. Ahuja.