Puducherry: Academia expressed concern over the inordinate delay in appointing Vice Chancellor to Pondicherry Central University though a full month has completed after the interview for the post of VC was held. Pondicherry University has seen 21 months pass without a regular VC at the helm of affairs, affecting a number of activities in the university. Lecturers point out that the university is crippled with many issues such as not filling vacancies, promotion of teaching and non-teaching staff members, clearance of long pending bills and, implementation of 25 percent reservation for students belonging to the Union Territory of Puducherry.
“The university administration with Professor Anisa Basheer Khan assuming the post of Vice-Chancellor in charge, failed to handle several issues, including the ongoing protest against the visit of Tarun Vijay to the university officially permitted and organised function, the protest against the officially published and released Widerstand magazine with anti-national content, admission of students into PhD programmes and non-reservation of seats for SC/ST candidates in PhD admission as envisaged by the Government of India”, said a senior teaching faculty of the University on conditions of anonymity.
“There is a bunch of cases going against the present administration in various courts and the National Human Rights Commission, PCR Cell, Police Department, and various agencies of the Government of India. The administration has spent close to Rs 60 lakh on the legal opinions alone”, he added. Nearly 13 statutory positions remain vacant and is being held by ‘in charge’ arrangements at the University, including the post of Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Controller of Examination and Finance officer. Apart from this, the Ministry of Human Resource development (MHRD) had recently declared Pondicherry University as a ‘non - performing University’ and National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) downgrading the University’s ranking from 13 to 37 in this academic year.
Following the intense pressure from students and academics, the interview for the 14 shortlisted candidates for the post of Vice Chancellor was held on March 29 in New Delhi. Though it was expected that the new VC would take charge by April 15 of this academic year, the ministry has yet to take a decision on the appointment. Delaying the appointment unnecessarily would create further damage to the prestigious institution, says the staff of the University.
“After conducting the interview it is not a lengthy process to appoint the Vice-Chancellor. The committee has to send the finalised list to the ministry for taking the decision and then it should reach the President of India for final approval. The admissions for next academic year would start by the month of June. So MHRD should immediately take steps to appoint a regular Vice Chancellor, only after which the things will be in place”, said another faculty member. The university Registrar in charge M Ramachandran that they have not received any official communication from the MHRD regarding the appoint of new Vice Chancellor.
