Lack of full-time Vice-Chancellor hurting Osmania University

Hyderabad: Lack of a permanent vice-chancellor is proving to be trouble for Osmania University. An amount of Rs 20 crore is due to the varsity from UGC but nobody knows when it will be released.

Also, a grant of Rs 50 crore was announced to OU in 2013 after it was nominated as an University with Potential for Excellence. This fund was required to be spent in five years, otherwise it would lapse. In the first phase, Rs 30 crore was released by UGC and it was utilised for building infrastructure and procuring equipment for  labs.

OU authorities sent a report in 2015 to New Delhi about the usage of funds and an inspection team was supposed to arrive, check and approve the second transfer of funds. But the visit hasn’t happened yet.

Osmania University Teachers Association members said the makeshift administration, without a full-time V-C, meant funds under UPE category were put on the backburner. The principal secretary (Education) is the acting V-C at the moment.