E-Paper
SPPU V-C selection process on hold again, UGC to appoint new committee member
Till such time the new VC is selected, the temporarily appointed V-C and pro-vice chancellor will take care of the administration of the university
The process of selection of the new vice-chancellor (V-C) of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has once again been put on hold by the search committee, as a new member will now be added to the committee by the University Grants Commission (UGC). While the process of selection will not move forward till this new member is added to the committee, the last date for applications for the post of V-C got over last week. Till such time the new VC is selected, the temporarily appointed V-C and pro-vice chancellor will take care of the administration of the university.
A senior government official involved in the selection process on condition of anonymity said, “We have been directed to put the process on hold as now, one more member will be added to the committee by the UGC. Once the appointment is made, the further process of scrutinising the applications, conducting interviews, and sending final recommendations to the honourable governor of the state will be carried out. But for now, nothing is moving ahead in terms of selection of the V-C of the SPPU.”
On May 17, the tenure of the then V-C of the SPPU, professor Nitin Karmalkar, ended, and temporary charge was given to professor Karbhari Vishwanath Kale. The selection of the new V-C was initially delayed due to difference of opinion between Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and the former Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government over the process of selection. Earlier this year, Koshyari, in his capacity as the chancellor of universities, constituted a search committee for the selection of the new V-C of SPPU. Furthermore, the search committee was chaired by justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee, former chief justice of the Karnataka high court; and comprised Dr Abhay Karandikar, director, IIT Kanpur and Deepak Kapoor, additional chief secretary, Government of Maharashtra as the other members.
The search committee gave an official advertisement in the newspapers calling for applications for the post of V-C of the SPPU on November 12, with the last date for applications given as December 14. Several prominent educationists, some of them from the SPPU itself, applied for the post but the process is yet to gain momentum.
The selection process for the post of V-C of the SPPU was supposed to start 10 months ago but the lack of political will and complete ignorance delayed the process. Hence, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed against the state government demanding that the selection process be started immediately as per the current 2016 University Act. Now however, state higher education minister Chandrakant Patil has made it clear that the process will be carried out as soon as possible.
