Ex-UGC secretary Rajesh Anand issued a termination notice on a complaint by Maneka Gandhi

(Update: Rajesh Anand’s dismissal was set aside by CAT on February 28, 2022. Read full story here)

NEW DELHI: The UGC has acted on a complaint by Maneka Gandhi and issued a termination notice on its former member secretary Rajesh Anand for physical and mental abuse of his wife besides wrongfully running five educational institutes “wherein his mistress (name withheld) is the executive director”. Anand has served as member secretary as well as joint secretary at the apex higher education regulator.

As per a UGC agenda note for its meeting on May 20, Anand’s “unlawful dealings with Manomaniam Sundaranar University (MSU), Thirunelveli, in complicity with his mistress” came up for discussion.


The UGC discussed the matter brought to its notice by Gandhi in 2014, before she became women and child development minister. As per the complaint, his wife approached former police officer Kiran Bedi and her Navjyothi Foundation which gave her legal assistance.

Meanwhile, Anand filed for divorce but refused to provide her any maintenance, compelling her to continue staying with him. In her complaint, as per the UGC, Gandhi said Anand “opened five institutes wherein his mistress is the executive director and Rajesh Anand introduces her as his business partner”. The institutes were granted recognition as learning centres by MSU, Thirunelveli.

After its meeting held on October 7, 2015, the UGC decided to issue a chargesheet to Anand and gave him 10 days’ time to respond. However, he failed to submit a “written statement of defence” on the charges and the UGC initiated an ex parte inquiry proceeding against him. In its meeting held this month, it further decided to issue him a termination notice.

“I have received the termination notice and I will reply to it. This was only a family matter — my wife had written to Maneka Gandhi then,” Anand told ET. “The UGC has framed me for exposing a corruption racket while I was posted in Bhopal. This is only an effort to malign me and distress me. The MSU issue is not even mentioned in the notice they have sent me.”

Gandhi told ET that she could not recall this specific case as she did get and forward many complaints.