Pune : Alleged financial and administrative irregularities during 2017–22 dominated discussions at Savitribai Phule Pune University’s (SPPU) biannual senate meeting, which began on Tuesday. Following repeated demands from members, Vice Chancellor Suresh Gosavi announced that a forensic audit of the university would be carried out and completed by March 31 next year.
Raising an adjournment motion, senate member Vinayak Ambekar made two major allegations:
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Administrative lapses – He claimed that ordinances issued by the then Vice Chancellor were not converted into statutes within the stipulated period.
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Financial irregularities – Based on a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit report, he alleged large-scale irregularities in procurements made during the period.
Ambekar alleged that in 2017, the ceiling for expenditure by the then VC on recurring and capital expenses was raised significantly through an ordinance. “As per the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, such an ordinance lapses after six months unless approved by the Governor. However, the VC repeatedly re-issued it with altered dates for five years, without approval from either the Management Council or the Senate. The Supreme Court has held that re-promulgation of ordinances is unconstitutional,” he said.
He further cited the CAG’s preliminary audit Inspection Report on the Audit of the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Pune University (now SPPU), conducted between October 2024 and November 2025 alleging questionable procurements such as sports equipment for a shooting range, a Data Analytics Centre for the Tribal Development Ministry, UPS battery backups, air-conditioning units, and gas suppression systems. According to Ambekar, though the CAG raised queries, the university has not responded. He added that the report was mistakenly shared with him by officials, as he serves on the Finance and Accounts Committee.
Ambekar demanded a written assurance from the VC for the audit. While Gosavi orally agreed, he did not provide a written commitment.
Concerns were also raised about the accuracy of senate records, with members alleging that minutes of past meetings were edited to remove critical remarks. Meanwhile, other motions including proposals for low-cost student insurance and revival of research grants remained unaddressed on the first day. Only two adjournment motions, one regarding SPPU’s slide in NIRF rankings and the other on financial and administrative irregularities, were discussed.
On the NIRF issue, Gosavi defended the university’s performance, citing its improved QS World Rankings. He attributed the fall in NIRF ranking to changes in the ranking methodology rather than institutional decline.
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