The role of a registrar in an academic institution like the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, is to ensure smooth administration, uphold institutional integrity, and manage human resources with transparency. Unfortunately, the performance of Mr. PJP Singh Waraich, the former registrar, was far from this expectation. As a member of the Board of Governors, I raised several concerns regarding his conduct, which deserve the public’s attention.
- Litigation as a Legacy
Rather than conserving institutional resources, Mr. Waraich’s actions pushed a significant number of employees, more than a third, into litigation. The trend has only worsened, with nearly 50% of employees now having approached the courts. He expanded the legal cell disproportionately in a campus of just 150 employees, appointing Mr. Vikram Singh (without prior administrative experience) as Section Officer (Administration & Legal) simply based on his LL.B. and LL.M. degrees. Mr. Hari Mohan Sharma was brought in as a consultant for legal affairs, and others like Deepraj Sharma and dedicated stenographers were added to the legal setup—an excessive indulgence for such a small institution.
- Defying Board Decisions
On October 22, 2018, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled in favour of petitioners like Mrs. Nisha Sharma in case CWP-18268-2024. The case stemmed from the institute’s failure to comply with Board-approved decisions regarding employee benefits. This negligence led to a situation where Director Dr. Dulal Panda had to appear personally in court—a direct fallout of Mr. Waraich’s non-compliance with the Finance Committee and Board of Governors’ resolutions.
- Weaponizing Probation
Mr. Waraich routinely misused probation extensions to control employees and suppress dissent. Despite being expected to frame guidelines for probation, he avoided doing so, thus allowing discretionary abuse. In two instances—those of Mr. Jitender Kumar Chandel (Deputy Registrar, Finance & Accounts) and Mr. Vishal Gupta (Section Officer, Accounts)—probation extensions were unjustified and used as intimidation tools. In earlier cases, employees had even been terminated, citing probation clauses.
- Forcing Employees to Court for Basic Rights
Even post-retirement, employees weren’t spared. One ex-employee, Mr. Avtar Singh, had to approach the court to claim his terminal benefits and medical reimbursement for the treatment of his specially-abled child. The pattern is clear: under Mr. Waraich’s tenure, legal redress became the only path to secure one’s rightful dues.
- Unauthorized Salary Hikes
In at least five documented cases, Mr. Waraich approved salary increases for employees without obtaining sanction from the competent authority—the Director. These irregularities involved Mr. Chandel, who, perhaps under probationary pressure, facilitated these hikes. The approvals bypassed protocol, originating from the Security-cum-Estate Officer and getting cleared despite a similar matter involving Mr. Raj Narain pending in the High Court.
Photo caption: Dr. Arvind Kumar Bansal (former Head, Department of Pharmaceutics and former Dean, NIPER Mohali) during cross-examination by the CBI officials after the CBI raid.
- Mismanagement of Central Stores
Dean Dr. K. B. Tikoo submitted a report citing severe mismanagement in Central Stores. However, no corrective action followed, further reflecting the lax and compromised administrative environment.
- Regularization Scam
E-mail communications among Prof. Saranjit Singh, Mr. Waraich, and Mr. Kultar Singh Saini revealed blatant manipulation and favoritism in employee regularizations. Prof. Saranjit publicly called out Mr. Waraich’s role, especially when Mr. Saini blamed him via a group-wide email—suggesting the problem was widely known but institutionally ignored.
- Misleading High-Level Committee (HLC)
Out of 150 employees, over 90 cases exist where Mr. Waraich allegedly misled the High-Level Committee chaired by the Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals. When I reported this, top officials in the Department reacted with visible concern—an indication of how serious the implications were.
- Ignoring Audit Warnings
Despite the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit highlighting irregularities in the number of Finance Committee meetings, no action was taken. Mr. Waraich’s consistent inaction points to either indifference or deliberate suppression.
- Quid Pro Quo with Former Director
One of the gravest allegations involves the wrongful salary fixation of the former officiating director, the late Dr. Kamlesh Kumar Bhutani. The Department of Pharmaceuticals even highlighted this in its petition against Dr. Bhutani. Evidence suggests Dr. Bhutani helped install Mr. Waraich as registrar, who then returned the favor via financial benefits—a textbook case of quid pro quo.
- Defiance of CBI Directions
Despite a clear directive from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) requesting the removal of Mr. Waraich to facilitate an impartial probe, he was neither transferred to another NIPER nor relieved of his powers. Instead, he retained control over crucial departments—Purchase, Stores, Security, Finance, and Accounts—and held positions on every statutory committee, including the Board of Governors. Worse still, he remained the custodian of records during the investigation period, enabling potential manipulation.
The evidence against Mr. PJP Singh Waraich is overwhelming and troubling. His tenure as Registrar not only compromised NIPER’s institutional integrity but also exposed it to reputational and legal damage. Authorities must act decisively to restore order, accountability, and transparency in the governance of this premier institute.
