No V-C for four new Bihar varsities, under additional charge

All the three new state universities, carved out of existing bigger universities in 2018, have slipped under ad hoc arrangement after the term of their vice-chancellors fell vacant

All the three new state universities, carved out of existing bigger universities in 2018, have slipped under ad hoc arrangement after the term of their vice-chancellors fell vacant. The latest to join the list is Munger University.

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While the term of Munger University vice-chancellor (V-C) Ranjit Kumar Verma ended last month, Patalputra University V-C Gulab Chand Ram Jaiswal quit in January a few months before his tenure’s end. Purnea University V-C Rajesh Singh had resigned in September last year for a new assignment in Uttar Pradesh.

While, TM Bhagalpur University V-C Neelima Gupta is holding the additional charge of Munger University, Lalit Narayan Mithila University (Darbhanga) V-C SP Singh has the additional charge of Pataliputra University, as the term of Pro-V-C in both the universities has also ended. In Purnea University, however, Pro-V-C RS Yadav is the acting V-C.

The vacancies at the top are likely to affect Bihar’s quest for certification of its colleges by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). NAAC has already set 2022 deadline for certification of all colleges in the country. Bihar has been slow on that count and even the best of state’s colleges that went in for certification have fumbled due to lack of teachers, facilities, intent and poor feedback from students.

Aryabhatt Knowledge University (AKU), set up in 2010 to regulate all technical institutions by bringing them under one umbrella, has also been without a regular V-C since September 20, 2020, when the term of Arun Kumar Agarwal ended. Since then, AKU Pro-V-C Syed Mohammad Karim has been holding the additional charge of V-C, though he, too, is set to retire in a couple of months.

The Raj Bhawan had invited applications afresh for the appointment of V-C at the AKU in January this year after cancelling the September 2020 advertisement “due to unavoidable reason”. The candidates who had applied earlier were asked to apply afresh, if interested. The last date ended on March 1.

Bihar Agriculture University, Sabour, is also without a V-C since the term of Ajoy Kumar Singh ended earlier this year. Director, extension, BAU, RK Sohana, is the acting V-C since then. Nalanda Open University (NOU) in Patna is also continuing under interim measure after the sudden resignation of HN Prasad in November last.

Besides, Animal Science University, set up in 2017, does not have a Pro-V-C. The situation is similar in the Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga University (KSDSU). More vacancies are likely to occur in the months to come.