Vice Chancellors flout rules, give many contract jobs in Telangana

Hyderabad: The Telangana government is going slow in taking action against the irregularities in university recruitments even after Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao expressed concern over the sidestepping of rules by vice chancellors of prime academic institutions in the state.

The reckless recruitments to contract posts, flouting rules, has also become a major hurdle in the way of their future regularisation. Regularisation cannot be done because these contract recruitments did not follow any rule of reservation or used roster points. Not just contract faculty, even regular recruitments are plagued by controversies in major universities.

A single-judge panel had been formed by Governor ESL Narsimhan to probe allegations against then vice chancellor of Telangana University Prof MAA Khan. The committee recommended termination of his tenure. But, surprisingly, the report reached the government a day after his tenure ended. Almost all vice chancellors of major universities like the Osmania and Kakatiya have been involved in allegations of nepotism. In one instance, former Warangal MP Siricilla Rajaiaha’s wife was made an assistant professor in Kakatiya University.

Several inquiry reports remain unattended and the government is shying away from stringent action. One issue is that most such irregularities were carried out by vice chancellors in the last days of their tenures. Once, the tenure is completed, governments generally do not go after them, a Dean of Kakatiya University said.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is mindful of the problem. He had said that outgoing vice chancellors have appointed more faculty than was sanctioned for varsities. “Before demitting office, they have recruited 300 to 400 contract faculty. How can they do this,” the Chief Minister had said in March.  Inquiries were also held by the government into these recruitments in Osmania and Kakatiya but no action followed. Asked about this, Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari said, “Yes, we will take action.”
 

Autonomy to Vice Chancellors plays havoc

The AP Universities Act bestows considerable autonomy to Vice Chancellors of state universities and this will continue despite the amendments brought by the Telangana state government in the Act.  

The amended legislation empowers the government to pick the Vice Chancellor from the panel of names suggested by the search committee. But the amendments still don’t take away the autonomy of the Vice Chancellor or the action that can be initiated against the official.

As per the Universities Act, Vice Chancellors can be removed only after an inquiry report by the Lokayukta or a judge of the High Court or Supreme Court (current or former). The inquiry committee has to be appointed by the Chancellor. The Vice Chancellor can’t be removed unless this happens but further even if the guilt of the Vice Chancellor is proved, the maximum punishment is just removal from office. Previous governments had contemplated that the law should be even more stringent but no change has ever been made.

As per the Universities Act, “The Vice Chancellor shall not be removed from office except by an order of the Chancellor passed on the ground of wilful omission or refusal to carry out provisions of this Act, or abuse of the powers vested in him and after due inquiry ordered by the government, by the Lokayukta or by such person who is or has been a Judge of the High Court or the Supreme Court as may be appointed by the Chancellor in which the Vice Chancellor shall have an opportunity of making his representation against such removal.”