Jharkhand Finance Minister Meets Governor to Seek Dismissal of Nilamber-Pitamber University VC

The political and academic landscape in Jharkhand has heated up significantly as State Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore officially petitioned Governor and Chancellor Santosh Kumar Gangwar at Lok Bhavan in Ranchi, demanding the immediate removal of Dr. Dinesh Kumar Singh from his position as Vice Chancellor of Nilamber-Pitamber University (NPU) in Palamu. Expressing grave concern that the embattled Vice Chancellor might attempt to tamper with or destroy crucial evidence linked to widespread financial mismanagement during his tenure, the minister urged that he be entirely relieved of his post rather than merely having his financial and administrative powers restricted. A formal memorandum detailing these concerns was submitted directly to the Governor.Audit Report Confirms Irregular Payments Worth Crores, Illegal Appointments, and Unauthorized Convocation SpendingThe demand for dismissal follows a comprehensive special audit conducted by the state's Finance Department, which formally confirmed a series of severe administrative and financial irregularities under Dr. Singh's leadership. According to the damning audit findings, approximately ₹2.50 crore was irregularly disbursed for examination-related works, alongside multiple allegations of illegal appointments and unauthorized tenure extensions. Furthermore, the report highlighted that around ₹79.35 lakh was spent on a university convocation ceremony last October without mandatory budget approval from the Governor's Secretariat. Although the Governor initially suspended Dr. Singh's financial and administrative powers following these disclosures, reports emerged that within hours of the restriction, the Vice Chancellor proceeded to transfer the Registrar and make new appointments, prompting calls for strict and immediate administrative action.