Removal of Sanyal arbitrary and unjust: GIPE VC Prof Shankar Das 

The Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), India’s oldest research and training institute in economics, is set for a third leadership change in a year. Sanjeev Sanyal, who was abruptly removed as GIPE Chancellor on Thursday, April 3, joined in October last year.  

In its letter after the removal of Sanyal, the Servants of India Society (SIS) president Damodar Sahoo blamed Sanyal and cited the institute’s decline, particularly its recent ‘B’ grade accreditation by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), as a key reason for his removal. However, it is an ambiguous decision, considering that Sanyal had joined just six months ago and had a limited span to make his mark, whereas the NAAC rating, for which he was blamed-are for a whole academic year. 

GIPE VC (interim) Professor Shankar Das spoke with HT and gave his thoughts on the developments. 

Q: What is your take on the recent removal of Sanjeev Sanyal as Chancellor of GIPE by the Servants of India Society (SIS)? 

A: Sanjeev Sanyal’s removal as GIPE Chancellor is extremely unfortunate. I think it is an unjust and arbitrary removal of an individual whose exceptional leadership has been nothing short of exemplary. To remove such a prominent figure without clear justification or due consultation reflects a disturbing disregard for institutional autonomy and the collective aspirations of the university community. It undermines the values of academic freedom, democratic functioning, and visionary leadership that our universities should stand for. 

Q: What are the possible next steps for GIPE? 

A: This is a significant development with potential regulatory and governance implications. We will await further guidance and directions from the UGC and the Ministry of Education, GoI. In its letter, SIS cited GIPE’s ‘B’ grade in the recent NAAC accreditation as a reason for Sanyal’s removal, alleging that he failed to present a concrete plan to improve the institute’s academic standing.  

Q: How do you view this blame game? For which academic year was the NAAC assessment conducted? 

A: The statements made are both misleading and unfounded. The NAAC assessment period spans five years, covering the academic years from June 2018 to June 2024. The preparation for NAAC accreditation began in May 2022, following the appointment of the former Vice-Chancellor at GIPE. Notably, neither the Chancellor nor the Interim Vice-Chancellor was present at the Institute during this assessment period. On 9th September 2024, the Institute submitted the Self-Study Report (SSR) online to NAAC, covering 70% of quantitative data. The remaining 30% - qualitative data- was duly verified during the NAAC Peer Team visit. It is, therefore, unreasonable to attribute responsibility or blame to individuals who were not part of the leadership during the performance appraisal period.