SIS withdraws Sanjeev Sanyal’s removal as GIPE Chancellor after public rebuttal 

The Servants of India Society (SIS), the parent body of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), on Saturday, revoked its order removing Sanjeev Sanyal as Chancellor and urged him to continue in the role. 

In a fresh letter to Sanyal, SIS president Damodar Sahoo termed the earlier removal order a result of “misunderstanding” and requested that it be treated as “null and void.” He also acknowledged Sanyal’s response to concerns raised in the earlier communication. 

“I came to know and became satisfied that, as Chancellor, you have taken steps to protect and enhance the glory of GIPE. This misunderstanding arose due to a lack of communication between you and the Servants of India Society,” Sahoo stated in the letter. 

Sahoo further said that he had consulted with fellow trustees, who were unanimous in their view that the earlier removal letter ought to be withdrawn with immediate effect. 

The turnaround came just hours after Sanyal—economist and member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council—broke his silence on social media regarding his removal. In a detailed post, he attributed GIPE’s recent ‘B’ grade in NAAC accreditation to earlier administrations and pointed to financial and administrative irregularities at the institute under previous leaderships. 

Sanyal, who was appointed Chancellor in October 2024 and removed on April 2, had earlier in the morning said SIS unfairly blamed him for the ‘B’ grade given in the January 2025 NAAC assessment, which was based on data from 2018 to 2023—well before his tenure began. 

Sanyal’s response was to SIS’s previous communication in which the parent body cited declining academic standards, Sanyal’s alleged failure to take corrective steps, and the NAAC grade as grounds for his removal. Retired High Court judge SC Dharmadhikari had been named as his replacement. 

“This grade reflects the performance of earlier leadership, not the current administration. I visited the campus for the first time only in November 2024,” Sanyal wrote on X (formerly Twitter), sharing the letter he had sent to Sahoo on April 4. 

He said he had refrained from speaking publicly but was compelled to respond to “put a few things on public record.” According to Sanyal, the decision to remove him was taken without giving him a chance to respond. He was abroad, delivering lectures at the London School of Economics and King’s College, when he received SIS’s letter on March 24. He returned on March 30 and began addressing the concerns, but the removal letter was issued on April 2—before he could formally reply. 

Sanyal also raised concerns about alleged financial opacity at GIPE, which he said he had begun addressing. A newly formed finance committee constituted as per UGC norms, met on March 29 and flagged several issues. 

He cited the example of a separate entity, Western Business School (WBS), which he claimed operated from the GIPE campus and used its name and address in promotional material. “Their website featured photos of GIPE buildings and claimed the same address. It even said the school was established by SIS,” Sanyal said, adding that the content was later edited, but screenshots had been preserved. 

According to him, this issue was raised in the March 29 finance committee meeting. “This is not a trivial matter. The GIPE campus belongs to SIS, not the institute. In theory, GIPE can be asked to vacate,” he said. 

Sanyal further alleged that although SIS no longer funds GIPE, it continues to extract rent and charges.  

“The institute now runs entirely on student fees and taxpayer money. Yet, SIS demands interest-free loans for land purchases and levies unexplained service charges,” he said, questioning the lack of transparency in these dealings. 

He also rejected the view that the role of the Chancellor is purely ceremonial.  

“While I draw no salary, I consider it my duty to raise questions on behalf of the students and faculty—especially when governance has long broken down. I will continue to do so,” he said. 

Talking about today’s development, GIPE Vice-Chancellor (interim) Prof Shankar Das said, “I had full faith that the order would be retracted, as we have always acted in the right spirit, with integrity and a deep sense of purpose. This retraction by SIS is a welcome and rightful step, reaffirming that fairness and truth ultimately stand strong. We appreciate this decision and remain fully committed to serving the institute with dedication and sincerity. Both Chancellor and I are devoted to the growth and progress of GIPE - as our duty of leadership,”

“Our focus remains on action over words. GIPE is a pivotal institution in the journey of nation-building, shaping the next generation of professionals. We will continue working tirelessly to uphold and enhance its legacy,” he added.