In July this year the Goa Legislative Assembly hurriedly passed the Goa State Research Foundation Bill 2022 after which this Act was notified but not the rules yet as required by law. Despite this Prof. M. K. Janarthanam, a retired professor of Goa University has been appointed as Chairman of this newly established Goa State Research Foundation and is scheduled to take charge on 1st January. He is known to be very close to the BJP, RSS and its Science & Technology wing Vidnyan Bharti.

 

This hasty and politically influenced mode of appointment is just another example of distinct favouritism which is now synonymous with the BJP. For this vital post the government has sadly bypassed senior and highly qualified Goans based in Goa and overseas. The selection for this senior position which is on par with that of a Vice-Chancellor should have been done very transparently and strictly on merit after forming a selection committee. Instead it was a mere selection by nomination as a political decision. This appointment of Prof. M. K. Janarthanam smacks of pure partiality and favouritism.

A decision bad in law as it has denied a fair opportunity to meritorious candidates. Besides how could Prof. M. K. Janarthanam be chosen for this very senior position without the rules being framed and notified? The Chairman of the Goa State Research Foundation should have been selected from the best talent available and not by nomination at the diktats of the RSS headquarters in Nagpur as has obviously been done in this case. What a start to the New Year while acting arrogantly and in absolute breach of law.

 

This skewed nomination of Prof. M. K. Janarthanam needs to be urgently annulled. The rules to select the Chairman need to be framed and notified. A search committee needs to be formed and the post needs to be advertised. The process similar to selection of the Vice Chancellor of any State University needs to be followed to uphold the spirit of and do justice to the Goa State Research Foundation Act.