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Search for new SPPU vice-chancellor gains momentum
State higher education department has now appointed Deepak Kapur, who is the additional chief secretary of the state for the selection process
The process of selection for the vice-chancellor for Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has started after much delay, as the state higher education department has now appointed Deepak Kapur, who is the additional chief secretary of the state for the selection process of the new vice-chancellor.
On May 17, the tenure of former vice-chancellor of SPPU Prof Nitin Karmalkar ended and its temporary charge was handed over to Prof Karbhari Vishwanath Kale. Prof Kale is also the vice-chancellor of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University, Lonere, district Raigad.
The selection process of the new vice-chancellor was delayed, as it was stuck for months in a fight between state governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and the earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government over the selection process method. Whereas the state higher education minister Chandrakant Patil has made it clear that the process will be carried out soon.
As per the announcement made by the state higher education ministry, for SPPU vice-chancellor’s post name of Deepak Kapur is proposed, while for Mumbai university Anand Limaye, state additional chief secretary and Vikaschandra Rastogi, chief secretary for state technical and higher education ministry names are finalised for Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University.
“There is no new law passed regarding the selection process of vice-chancellor and so it will be done as per the old one. In the next two months new vice-chancellor will be appointed,” said Patil.
Earlier the SPPU management council had given the name of Deepak Karandikar, IIT Kharagpur director as one of the members of the selection committee. Whereas the other two names include one from the governor and another from the state government, out of which one name is now given by the state government.
“Now two of the members for the selection committee are been given by the state government and SPPU, now only the name is remaining from the state governor’s office. As soon as the name is given by the governor’s office, the selection process will speed up and hopefully, by the next two months the new vice chancellor for SPPU will be appointed,” said Dhananjay Kulkarni, who had filed a petition in Bombay High Court earlier for the speedy selection process.
