Muzaffarpur, Feb. 18: Former vice-chancellor of Bhim Rao Ambedkar Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, Rajdev Prasad Singh has landed into a controversy pertaining to new admissions carried out under the VC’s quota.

His signature and office seal put on the recommendations for admissions into various technical and constituent colleges under his quota has come under a scanner.

Singh, who completed his three-year VC’s tenure on January 25, 2011, is said to have exhausted his full quota and exceeded the prescribed reservation of this year before leaving the office.

The state government, then temporarily appointed the seniormost teacher of the postgraduate department of psychology Rajendra Mishra, as the acting VC in Singh’s place.

Mishra, soon after joining office, stumbled upon the irregularities committed in the admission process during Singh’s tenure. The former VC, before leaving office, exhausted his entire allocated quota of seats in the technical courses including, Bachelor of Education (BEd), library science, business management and computer courses run by the University Grants Commission and the bachelor courses of arts, science and commerce in the prestigious colleges under the university.

University officials are shocked over the use of his quota by violating the prescribed norms. Normally, a VC stays away from filling up the vacant seats under the vice-chancellor quota when he/she is likely to complete the tenure as a precautionary measure to avoid any controversy.

The VC is entitled to recommend admission to at least two seats for the above mentioned courses in a session. But after the acting VC joined office, he found, that during Singh’s tenure many letters of recommendation had been sent.

However, the university is suspecting foul play by people with ulterior motives, who could have submitted recommendation letters with forged signatures of then VC.

The issue is being discussed with other university officials including the pro-vice chancellor Padmasha Jha and other faculty members. Acting vice-chancellor Rajendra Mishra said the university has sought the letters of recommendation sent by then VC to the institutions concerned and colleges for necessary perusal and examination.

Only then, the university would ask the former VC to explain his position and circumstances, which led him to endorse recommendations. The original signature of the VC would also be matched with the signature on the letters of recommendation.

General secretary of Bihar State University Service Teachers’ Association, Arun Kumar Singh, has demanded a thorough probe into the incident from Governor Devanand Konwar.