A significant corruption scandal involving alleged tender manipulation and bribery has rocked Rani Channamma University (RCU) in Belagavi. The case came to light following a detailed complaint filed with the Karnataka Lokayukta by Bengaluru-based RTI activist Dattatrya Kulkarni.
Core Allegations: Bribes and Substandard Supplies
The complaint alleges a deep-rooted conspiracy between senior university officials and private companies to rig tenders for printing markscards and degree certificates. According to the allegations, officials including Vice-Chancellor Prof CM Thyagaraja, Registrar Santosh Kamagouda, former Registrar (Evaluation) Ravindranath N Kadam, and Finance Officer MA Sapna colluded with Printography Systems (India) Pvt Ltd. and Hitech Print Systems Ltd.
The initial tender was valued at approximately Rs 5.2 crore, but this was allegedly inflated to Rs 7.2 crore. The final contract was awarded for Rs 6.4 crore, with the complaint claiming that a staggering Rs 2 crore was paid as bribes to the involved officials to facilitate the deal.
Further, the companies are accused of supplying substandard Teslin paper, falsely marketed as tear-resistant. While the same material costs around Rs 35 per unit in other universities, RCU procured it at an inflated rate of Rs 66 per unit. The activist alleges that inspection reports were deliberately manipulated to approve these inferior materials.
Multiple Legal and Government Violations
The complaint outlines several serious violations of legal and government directives. Firstly, the university's decision to outsource examination-related activities to private vendors directly contravenes a Karnataka High Court order, which prohibits such outsourcing due to risks of tampering.
Secondly, the university ignored a directive from the Karnataka Higher Education Department that mandated the use of digital markscards and certificates through platforms like NAD/Digilocker. Instead, officials opted for costly physical printing.
The tender process itself violated the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act rules. The tender was floated on the Government e-Marketplace (GEM) portal instead of the mandatory Karnataka Public Procurement Portal (KPPP), thereby bypassing essential transparency and publicity requirements designed to ensure fair competition.
Investigation and Wider Troubles for VC
Dattatrya Kulkarni has submitted substantial evidence, including details of the manipulated tender and reports, to the Lokayukta. He has urged members of the university's syndicate and academic council to cooperate with the probe to avoid potential legal action under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Confirming the receipt of the complaint, Lokayukta SP Hanumantharaya stated, "We are yet to register the complaint as we are going through it, which was received on Friday evening."
This scandal adds to the mounting troubles for Vice-Chancellor Prof CM Thyagaraja, who is already facing a slew of other allegations. These include:
- Charges of submitting forged educational documents to secure the VC post.
- A defamation case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act filed by a professor at Kakati police station.
- A separate case concerning financial irregularities linked to the Skill Development Corporation.
- Allegations of denying a convocation certificate to a woman PhD scholar on caste-discriminatory grounds.
The unfolding scandal raises serious questions about governance and procurement integrity in Karnataka's state universities, with the Lokayukta's next steps being keenly awaited.
