New Delhi: Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar has rejected Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Arjun Singh's choice of Prof. Dilip Kumar Bandhopadhya as the director of the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIM-L).

Chandrasekhar has also asked for explanation regarding the order of the revision of the Search-cum-Selection Committee.

Arjun Singh, on the other hand, has not given any reason, regarding the short-listed candidates, to the committee chaired by TRAI Chairperson Nripendra Mishra and HRD Ministry's Higher Education Secretary R.P. Aggarwal.

Five candidates were interviewed for the post by J.J. Irani, Chairman of the Board of Governors of IIM-L in May this year and the extension of Dr. Devi Singh's term was recommended.

Devi Singh's term ended last month and thereafter Prof. Bandhopadhya was listed as the second choice for the director's post.

Prof. Bandhopadhya is currently heading the Bhopal-based Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM).

Prof. Prem Chand Purwar, a senior faculty member, has been appointed as the acting director of the institute by the HRD Ministry.