Wary of AERB’s sanction to use radio-active materials in Delhi University, the teachers’ body of the university DUTA, today demanded immediate arrest of Deepak Pental, Vice-Chancellor, DU. The DUTA made the demand after a long meeting of its executive committee. Read the rest of this entry »

Hon’ble Sh. Kapil Sibal,

Prof. Deepak Pental’s continuation as the Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University beyond his term which expired on 31 August, 2010 is both unwelcome and unprecedented. Read the rest of this entry »

Ravi B.
Delhi University finally acted upon what it should have done long ago. After earning a bad name in the filed of maintenance radioactive materials due ‘Cobalt-60’ episode and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) reprimand in this regard the Vice-Chancellor Deepak Pental has given instruction to recruit Radiological Safety officer for the university. Read the rest of this entry »

The ghost of Cobalt-60 and radioactivity appeared in Delhi Assembly when members demanded immediate arrest of Delhi University Vice Chancellor in this case. Read the rest of this entry »

The issue of Cobalt-60 has again come into limelight as Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) has demanded legal action against the Vice-Chancellor.

“The Vice-Chancellor has brought shame to the University of Delhi through insensitive statements to the media in justifying his role in delaying action on the criminal neglect of sale of gamma irradiator containing radioactive Cobalt-60 as scrap”, said DUTA in a statement.

“The statement of the Vice-Chancellor that he would place the inquiry report for discussion only when he finds time confirms his involvement in the decision to sale radioactive material and his attempts to delay and derail investigation. He constituted a committee consisting of persons close to him and the erstwhile Head of the Department of Chemistry to conduct an inquiry. Even the report of such a committee is being held back to buy more time so that the issue is forgotten and the evidence nailing the culprits is destroyed”, said DUTA.

The Cobalt-60 episode affected several people and killed two persons due to radioactive exposure. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board has already found Delhi University guilty in this regard. The issue has also been raised in the Parliament.

Delhi University has asked more time to submit its report on Cobalt-60 episode to Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). According to an official of the university the DU has formally made a request in this regard to AERB. The Cobalt-60 episode led to radioactive exposure to several people and caused death of two persons.

The AERB found Delhi University guilty of the mismanagement of radioactive substance and had asked a detailed report in this regard. Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental had constituted a committee after AERB’s reprimand. Intervention sought from the President of India, who is Visitor of the University, too in this regard. The matter was raised in the Parliament too and Minister of Science of Technology Prithviraj Chavan assured the House in his reply that action must be taken in this regard. 

However, no action was taken in this regard after several months.

In a new twist in Cobalt-60 episode it has been revealed that issue of disposal of Gama irradiator, which led one death and six injured due to radioactive exposure, had never been placed before Executive Council of Delhi University. All decisions were taken by Vice Chancellor himself instead, in this regard.

“The disposal of Cobalt 60 equipments, has never been put on the agenda for decision by the Executive Council, by using the emergency power on behalf of Executive Council the VC Prof. Deepak Pental decided to dispose off the said radiation equipment on his own”, says S C Panda, member of Executive Council.

As per provision of DU’s Statute 6(2) (vi) The Executive Council has the power “… to manage and regulate the finances, accounts, investments, property, business and all other administrative affairs of the University and, for that purpose to appoint such agents as it may think fit.” Since the power to manage the property of the University is vested absolutely with the Executive Council”, he says adding that it never came before the EC.

Reacting on the reports that some of the victims will sue the university in this regard he says that they should sue Vice-Chancellor instead. Any attempt to link it to other departments or some Professors of a department is totally a misconstrued assertion. Hence the victims’ family can only sue the VC Prof. Deepak Pental, he adds.