The ongoing tussle over the chancellorship of Pune’s Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) has reached the University Grants Commission (UGC), with conflicting claims from the institute’s leadership and its parent body, further intensifying a controversy.
Interim VC stands by Sanjeev Sanyal
Interim Vice-Chancellor (VC) Shankar Das, told The Times of India on Friday, April 4, 2025, that GIPE has formally written to the UGC asserting that Sanjeev Sanyal remains the Chancellor until his five-year term concludes in October 2029.
Das’s stance challenges the recent move by the Servants of India Society (SIS), GIPE’s governing body, to remove Sanyal.
SIS insists on Sanyal's removal
In contrast, SIS President Damodar Sahoo, claimed he had already notified the UGC, via a letter that Sanyal was replaced by former Bombay High Court judge SC Dharmadhikari, effective April 2, 2025.
Sahoo’s decision stems from dissatisfaction with Sanyal’s leadership, particularly following a letter he sent to Sanyal on March 24 accusing him of neglecting recruitment concerns and failing to address GIPE’s declining credentials.
UGC yet to weigh in
When contacted, UGC Secretary Manish Joshi told The Times of India that he was unaware of these developments and could not comment without further details. The UGC’s response will likely be pivotal in resolving the governance standoff at GIPE.
Sanyal's defense
Sanjeev Sanyal, an economist and member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM), responded to Sahoo’s March 24 letter on Friday, April 5, explaining his delay in addressing recruitment issues.
He noted he was in the UK when the letter arrived, and before he could reply, Sahoo had already followed up with accusations of inaction on April 2.
Sanyal also said that before he could take the steps, including requesting Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) VC Santishree Pandit to investigate, but by then SIS had already advanced with their move to replace him.
He also clarified that GIPE’s recent ‘B’ grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) reflects its performance from 2018 to 2023, which was before his tenure, which began in October 2024.
Where it all began
The dispute arose on Wednesday, April 2, when Sahoo wrote to Sanyal, alleging he ignored trustee concerns over faculty recruitment and failed to propose solutions to bolster GIPE’s standing.
This followed months of instability at the institute, including the resignation of former Chancellor Bibek Debroy in September 2024 amid a separate controversy over then-VC Ajit Ranade’s dismissal.
