Baleshwar Rai

Baleshwar Rai is a 1970-batch UT cadre Indian Administrative Service officer.^[1] He was additional secretary and Union Labour minister.^[2] He was the Chief Secretary of Goa^[3]for over two years.^[2] He also served as the joint secretary in the Union power ministry.^[2] Currently he is the chairman of the governing body of Kirori Mal College.^[4]

He has been charged in an alleged case of sexual harassment. A senior teacher of Upras Vidyalaya had alleged Rai of sexual misbehaviour and also filed an FIR on the same matter. The case is on trial in a local Court. In 2012, another FIR was filed against Baleshwar Rai by management of the school theft, cheating and criminal breach of trust by public servant. A complaint was also made by school security supervisor against Rai of bringing a young girl at night inside the premises of Upras Vidalaya. Following this complaint, he was removed from management of that school for indulging in activities like “misappropriation of school funds, misconduct, immoral acts, involvement in criminal cases and misuse of power and position.” Laying emphasis on caution in the appointment of persons on college governing bodies, Justice Ganguly says that “any man of ordinary prudence would say that Baleshwar Rai , even if half the allegations against him are true, is the not the most ideal man to become the chairman of governing body of educational institutions.” ^[5] [6]

He belongs to Ghazipur UP. He retired as the secretary Public Grievances and coordination Cabinet Secretariat Government Of India.

His role as NDMC administrator came under the scanner of CBI's anti-corruption branch which started investigating him for corruption charges in 1996.^[7]

References[edit]

1. Jump up^ Rahul Singh (2003-10-29). "I will not go to Arunachal: Baleshwar Rai". The Times of India. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
2. ^ Jump up to:^a b c Rahul Singh (2003-10-29). "I will not go to Arunachal: Baleshwar Rai". The Times of India. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
3. Jump up^ Division, India. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Research and Reference; Research, India. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.; Reference; and Training Division, India. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Publications Division (2003). India, a reference annual. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. ISBN 978-81-230-1080-9. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
4. Jump up^ "HC dismisses suspended KMC principal's plea". The Times of India. 2013-02-19. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
5. Jump up^ Millenium Post news report
6. Jump up^ DUTA whitepaper Also available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3MPBgADjtjaWHhqMlFfdEpfaG8/edit?pli=1
7. Jump up^ BHAVDEEP KANG (1996-03-20). "Operation Clean-up". Outlook. Retrieved 2014-06-24.

Despite charges of sexual harassment and financial misconduct being probed against him, Rai was appointed as the chairman of governing body, thanks to his proximity to the vice-chancellor and a few members of his team

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court has declined relief to suspended Kirori Mal College (KMC) principal, holding that his conduct was "contrary to maintenance of discipline in an educational institution".

Dismissing Bhim Sen Singh's plea to revoke his suspension, Justice Mukta Gupta, noted that "the petitioner did not raise any grievance regarding the appointment of S P Gupta as the vice-principal of the college or Baleshwar Rai as the chairman of the governing body of the college with the chancellor, vice-chancellor or executive council of the university, but straightaway went to the press".

Singh, challenging his suspension order by the governing body of the college on August 1 last year, said the order was "illegal and biased". He was suspended after he levelled corruption charges against Rai, a retired IAS officer. He had alleged that Rai faced several charges, including misappropriation of funds and molestation, and demanded his removal from the post. In his plea, Singh claimed he had entered the bad books of the university in 2010 when he had supported theDelhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) and protested against the implementation of semester system.

But HC saw little merit in his claims and rejected his argument that holding a press conference was not a misconduct and thus neither an enquiry could have been conducted nor he could be suspended.

"It would not be appropriate for this court to return a finding thereon in these proceedings except to note that though misconduct has not been defined in the university calendar, however, the fact that highest standards of discipline are required to be maintained in a university cannot be denied," the court said.

"The right of speech and expression as guaranteed under Article 19(1) of the Indian Constitution has to be balanced keeping in mind the smooth and efficient running of the educational system," the court added

A judicial committee report by a former Supreme Court judge among other issues has made startling revelations about the appointment of persons with dubious antecedents on the governing bodies of the prestigious colleges. The case in point relates to retired IAS officer Baleshwar Rai, who was appointed chairperson of the governing body of Kirori Mal College. The issue is more alarming as this college is maintained directly by the university and appointments made on the choice of the vice-chancellor, in this case Professor Dinesh Singh.

The report submitted by Justice AK Ganguly in no uncertain terms states that Baleshwar Rai was “not the most ideal man” to head the governing body of one of the better known colleges of the university which is presently undergoing a turmoil on the account of the decisions taken by Rai. 

Despite charges of sexual harassment and financial misconduct being probed against him, Rai was appointed as the chairman of governing body, thanks to his proximity to the vice-chancellor and a few members of his team. Rai first came into limelight when CBI’s anti-corruption branch started investigating him for corruption charges in 1996 when he was NDMC administrator. Post retirement he was involved in the management of a school – UPRAS Vidyalaya in the posh Vasant Vihar area. 

The inquiry report mentions that in 2007 an FIR was lodged against him in an alleged case of sexual harassment. The report says that Anjali Malik, a senior teacher in Chemistry Upras Vidyalaya had alleged Rai of sexual misbehaviour and also filed an FIR on the same matter. The case is on trial in a local Court. In 2012, another FIR was filed against Baleshwar Rai by management of the school theft, cheating and criminal breach of trust by public servant. Rai never appeared before the enquiry committee to answer these charges against him. More shocking is the revelation that a complaint was also made by school security supervisor against Rai of bringing a young girl at night inside the premises of Upras Vidalaya. Following this complaint, he was removed from management of that school for indulging in activities like “misappropriation of school funds, misconduct, immoral acts, involvement in criminal cases and misuse of power and position.”

Laying emphasis on caution in the appointment of persons on college governing bodies, Justice Ganguly in his report says that “any man of ordinary prudence would say that Baleshwar Rai , even if half the allegations against him are true, is the not the most ideal man to become the chairman of governing body of educational institutions.”