India’s premier centrally run higher education institutions are facing a significant vacuum at the top , with 37 of 155 Institutions of National Importance (INIs), or 23.9%, currently functioning with interim, in-charge,or acting vice-chancellors (VCs) or directors, or those with additional-charge or on extensions, according to an analysis by HT .
The analysis covered all 48 Central Universities (CUs), 23 IITs 9Indian Institutes of Technology), 31 NITs (National Institutes of Technology), 25 IIITs (Indian Institutes of Information technology), 21 IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) and seven IISERs (Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research) under the Union education ministry. VCs and directors are the highest academic and administrative authorities in INIs, overseeing academic programmes, faculty appointments, finances, infrastructure and long-term planning. Experts said prolonged interim or acting arrangements in nearly a fourth of INIs can put institutions in a “standby mode”, slowing major decisions and weakening accountability and long-term planning.
INI status is conferred by Parliament through an Act, giving these institutions a special statutory identity because of their national importance.
{{/usCountry}}INI status is conferred by Parliament through an Act, giving these institutions a special statutory identity because of their national importance.
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The problem is most pronounced in Central Universities and IIITs. Of the 48 Central Universities, 20 (41.7%) have either interim/in-charge heads or VCs continuing on extensions. Of these, 11 do not have a functioning regular VC, while nine have VCs continuing through extensions or other arrangements. Among the 25 IIITs, 10 (40%) do not have full-time regular directors.
The situation extends to three of 21 IIMs, three of 31 NITs and one of seven IISERs. All 23 IITs currently have regular directors.
The findings indicate that leadership gaps are not always sudden. In several cases, the appointment process was initiated years before an incumbent’s tenure ended, but a successor was still not appointed.
At IIT Patna, director Prof T. N. Singh, who assumed charge on September 10, 2021, completed his five-year tenure on September 9, 2026. The post was advertised by IIT Patna on November 20, 2025, nearly 10 months before his tenure ended. No successor had been announced as of September 9. Singh is “likely to get an extension till the appointment of a new director or one year,” said a person familiar with the development.
The story is the same in Central Universities. At Central University of Andhra Pradesh, Prof C. Sheela Reddy was appointed interim VC on August 19 after Prof S.A. Kori’s extended tenure ended; the post was advertised in May 2025.
At NEHU (North Eastern Hill University, Shillong), Prof Saroj Kanta Barik took charge as VC in-charge on July 27, a day after regular VC Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla’s five-year tenure ended; the post was advertised in May 2026. At University of Hyderabad, Prof J. Anuradha assumed charge as VC-in-charge on March 12 after Prof B.J. Rao demitted office; the post was advertised in February 2026.
Interim arrangements can continue for extended periods.
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Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, has one of the longest-running interim arrangements, with Prof Yashwant Singh Thakur serving as acting/in-charge VC since July 2025, after regular VC Prof Neelima Gupta left on reaching the age of 70. The university has thus been functioning under an interim head for more than a year, despite the post having been advertised in May 2025.
There are also cases where extensions have prevented a formal vacancy. For instance, VCs of Central University of South Bihar and Central University of Karnataka received one-year extensions on July 6, shortly before their tenures expired. Similar extensions followed at Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Central University of Haryana and Central University of Himachal Pradesh between July 20 and 22.
IIITs rely heavily on dual-charge arrangements. Directors of institutions including IIT Kharagpur, IIT Hyderabad, MNIT Jaipur, NIT Calicut and VNIT Nagpur are simultaneously holding additional charge elsewhere.
“Leading or managing one institution is hard enough; leading two is just probably impossible. You will end up not doing justice to one of them,” said IIIT-Delhi founding director and Emeritus Professor Pankaj Jalote. “Dual charge will be compromising,” he said, adding that the additional-charge institution was likely to receive less attention.
Three IIMs—Bangalore, Raipur and Tiruchirappalli—are headed by directors-in-charge. At IIM Bangalore, Prof U. Dinesh Kumar took charge after Prof Rishikesha T. Krishnan’s tenure ended in July 2025. At IIM Raipur, Prof Sanjeev Prashar is serving in-charge after Prof Ram Kumar Kakani resigned. At IIM Tiruchirappalli, Prof Godwin Tennyson took charge after Prof Pawan Kumar Singh’s tenure ended.
The IISER system is comparatively stable, with IISER Bhopal being the only institute without a regular director. Its previous director completed his tenure in June 2026 and an additional-charge arrangement followed. Applications for the regular post were invited between July 24 and August 23.
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A former IIT director, requesting anonymity, said prolonged interim leadership could put institutions into a “standby mode”, delaying faculty recruitment, new academic programmes, infrastructure projects, international collaborations and long-term financial commitments. “The process has to become predictable, professional and time bound,” this person added, arguing that searches should begin at least six months before a tenure ends.
A former VC of a Central University said files related to VC and director appointments are “approved by the PMO” before notification by the education ministry, contributing to delays.
The PMO and the education ministry did not respond to HT’s queries.
A former higher education ministry official said the ministry, after advertising a post, constitutes a search-cum-selection panel, vets applications and sends eligible candidates to the panel. “Later, the panel recommends three names, after which the minister selects one and sends it to the Visitor for appointment,” the official added on condition of anonymity. The President of India is the Visitor of the INIs.