Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) Board of Governors chairman and nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar has resigned from his post after a reported 'disagreement' with the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

According to an Indian Express report, Kakodkar, who was also Standing Committee of the IIT Council (SCIC) chairman, resigned on March 12 after he was at variance with the choice for a director for IIT Ropar. He resigned ahead of a crucial meeting of a selection committee to interview candidates for the post of director for three IITs, which was to be chaired by Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani.

Thirty seven candidates were shortlisted by the committee for the post of director for IIT Ropar, IIT Patna and IIT Bhubaneswar and around twelve were called for an the interview for the same. While the committee agreed upon the selection for IIT Patna and IIT Bhubaneswar, they differed over choice for IIT Ropar, the report adds.

Kakodkar's term was to end in May and he has denied that he resigned over differences over appointment of the IIT Director in the report with HRD Minister Smriti Irani.

Irani, maintaining that all was well between the two of them said that Kakodkar's last board meeting had already been held but she will ask him to stay on. She has also said that some people were 'spreading disinformation' about her ministry.

This incident follows the December resignation of IIT Delhi director Raghunath K Shevgaonkar, who put in his papers more than two years before the end of his term.