The untold story of how Rajneesh Tingal, a former Joint Secretary in the Department of Pharmaceuticals, dismantled parliamentary oversight, misrepresented court directives, and concentrated unchecked power in India’s premier pharmaceutical institutions.
In a shocking saga of bureaucratic overreach, manipulation, and institutional subversion, Rajneesh Tingal, former Joint Secretary in the Department of Pharmaceuticals, stands accused of misleading the Punjab and Haryana High Court, deceiving the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers, and blocking the lawful inclusion of Members of Parliament in the governance of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali), and other NIPERs across the country.
At the heart of the controversy lies a fundamental question: Can unelected bureaucrats subvert Parliamentary intent and override judicial directives in institutions designated as Institutes of National Importance? In the case of NIPERs—India’s elite pharmaceutical research hubs—the answer, disturbingly, appears to be yes.
The background to this institutional betrayal dates to August 5, 2016. At that time, Dr. M. Ariz Ahammad, then Joint Secretary in the Department of Pharmaceuticals, took a clear and constitutional step to involve elected representatives in the governance of NIPER Mohali. In a letter addressed to the Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Ahammad sought the nomination of Members of Parliament to the NIPER Board of Governors (BoG) under Section 4(3)(o) of the NIPER Act. He also asked for an exemption from disqualification under the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959—a standard procedure when MPs are to be involved in statutory bodies.
Dr. Ahammad’s initiative was not merely administrative—it was a step towards transparency and democratic accountability in the functioning of these national institutions. His efforts were later echoed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which in CWP-30037 of 2017 issued a ruling that effectively mandated the inclusion of MPs in the NIPER BoG.
But what followed was a calculated retreat from this democratic ideal.
When Rajneesh Tingal succeeded Dr. Ahammad as Joint Secretary, rather than acting on his predecessor’s correspondence and the High Court ruling, he did the opposite. Tingal, with the support of Dr. V.M. Katoch—then Chairman of the Board of Governors at NIPER Mohali, not only refused to pursue the inclusion of MPs in the BoG, butalso engineered structural changes to effectively eliminate their future involvement.
In the final weeks of his tenure, Mr. Tingal unilaterally constituted an “Apex Council”, a body that had no basis in the NIPER Act, thereby sidestepping the legislated structure altogether. This move directly violated the High Court order and blurred the lines of legality in NIPER governance.
The saga does not end with the judiciary. In August 2021, the Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers (17th Lok Sabha, 23rd Report) was fed false and incomplete information by Mr. Tingal. Despite being fully aware of Dr. Ahammad’s 2016 letter and the High Court ruling, Tingal withheld this information and misrepresented the inclusion of MPs as an “office of profit,” misleading Parliament into believing such inclusion was legally untenable.
This deception led to a significant dilution of democratic oversight. The BoG—originally composed of 23 members—was arbitrarily reduced to just 12, concentrating power into the hands of a few bureaucrats and technocrats with little to no parliamentary accountability.
The bureaucratic capture of NIPER was not merely ideological—it was also administrative and financial.
During his tenure, Mr. Tingal exercised near-total control over funding to all NIPERs, including Mohali. Despite being aware of a CBI FIR against Mr. PJP Singh Waraich, then acting Registrar of NIPER Mohali, and a CBI request for his transfer, Tingal allowed Waraich to continue unabated. This disregard for institutional integrity raises serious questions about complicity.
Together, Tingal, Katoch, and Waraich formed an opaque triumvirate, exercising unchecked financial and administrative powers over NIPER Mohali. Even utilization certificates, meant to ensure transparency in public spending, were routed through a closed loop between NIPER and the Department of Pharmaceuticals, with no independent oversight.
When a new Director took charge at NIPER Mohali and began to question dubious financial transactions, such as payments to a consultant appointed by Dr. Katoch, and salary disbursements to individuals working at the Department of Pharmaceuticals using NIPER funds, the reaction was swift and vindictive. Instead of welcoming accountability, the entrenched bureaucracy closed ranks.
Ultimately, the Director’s services were terminated, effectively punishing those who sought transparency and justice. It was a stark message: challenge the system, and the system will erase you.
This is not just a story about one bureaucrat. It is a story of how unelected officials can obstruct democratic processes, mislead constitutional institutions, and operate with impunity in India’s public sector ecosystem.
When judicial rulings are bypassed, when parliamentary committees are deceived, and when MPs are deliberately excluded from institutions of national importance, the very idea of democratic governance comes under threat.
Institutions like NIPER are not mere administrative arms—they are meant to embody India’s aspirations in science, innovation, and public service. By turning them into bureaucratic fiefdoms, officers like Rajneesh Tingal do a disservice not just to Parliament or the judiciary, but to the Indian people.
It is now up to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, the Department of Pharmaceuticals, and Parliament to revisit these decisions and restore transparency, accountability, and parliamentary oversight over NIPERs.
There must be an independent inquiry into the illegal formation of the Apex Council, the financial misconduct at NIPER Mohali, and the institutional suppression of elected representatives.
Democracy is not just about elections—it is about how power is exercised every day, in every office, and in every institution. In the case of NIPERs, that ideal has been dangerously eroded. It is time to rebuild.
