Foto: BB.LV / Иварс Калвиньш
According to reports, Kalvins' request may be considered at the general meeting of the Latvian Academy of Sciences on November 26. Elections for new members of the academy are also scheduled for that day. However, the Senate must first decide whether to include the issue of the president's dismissal in the agenda of the meeting. At the end of October, Kalvins published an open letter to the public and the media, stating that he was considering resigning due to the situation surrounding his recommendation to grant Latvian citizenship to Indian researcher Divya Vishwanath. Recall that on October 15, the Saeima adopted a law granting Vishwanath Latvian citizenship for special merits. However, on October 22, the parliament revoked its own decision after public doubts arose regarding the authenticity of information about her education, scientific publications, and the grounds for granting citizenship. Previously, the presidium of the Latvian Academy of Sciences defended Kalvins, stating that in preparing the recommendation letter, he acted within his authority and in good faith, relying on the information provided to him. Meanwhile, the Prosecutor General's Office has begun an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the granting of citizenship to Divya Vishwanath. Prosecutors also intend to assess the actual role of the Academy of Sciences and its systematic involvement in the procedures for granting Latvian citizenship. The investigation will also cover the circumstances that influenced the granting of Latvian citizenship to the researcher’s spouse — Kannan Vishwanath. Thus, the scandal, which began with doubts about the scientific merits of the candidate for Latvian citizenship, may now lead to a change in leadership at one of the country's main scientific institutions. At the same time, Kalvins remains the president of the Academy of Sciences for now — a decision on his dismissal has not yet been made.
