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A first: Bihar VC aspirants told to give property details
The Raj Bhawan fiat, directed at applicants for the posts of VCs and pro-VCs of 11 universities of Bihar, purports to ensure that only candidates with a clean slate are selected for these positions
Call it the impact of corruption cases that rocked Bihar’s higher education and led to long legal wrangles in the past, or an attempt to make a fresh start, prospective candidates for the post of vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor now have to furnish details of their immovable and movable property through an affidavit.
According to sources, this time there is a form in a detailed format, which all shortlisted candidates have to fill up. Apart from details of self owned property, the format also requires particulars about the applicants’ spouses and dependents.
“This is the first such experience for me, but then one cannot fault anyone for this, considering the slide higher education has witnessed and the kind of embarrassment the state has been put to over the last few years”, admitted an aspirant.
In another first, the chancellor’s office is also seeking verification of records of candidates from their parent universities prior to their appointment. “The universities in which the candidates served, have now the responsibility to furnish all facts about the candidates and put them in writing. This will show whether they face any charges, or have impeccable career records” said another official.
On February 17 last, chancellor Ram Nath Kovind had held personal interaction with the candidates shortlisted by the search committee for BRA Bihar University, Muzaffarpur. The search committee had submitted its panel of five names to the chancellor, following a preliminary interaction on February 12 last.
Kovind had also met candidates shortlisted by the search committees for JP University (JPU), Chapra and Veer Kunwar Singh University (VKSU), Ara, after holding mandatory consultation with the chief minister.
After the consultation, the names of Syed Mumtazuddin started circulating for for VKSU and of Shailendra Kumar Singh for JPU. However, when notification was issued only Mumtazuddin was confirmed as VC of VKSU. Singh was not confirmed for JPU.
Since the chancellor’s interaction for BRABU, names of all five names – those of former Nalanda Open University VC Rash Bihar Prasad Singh, former Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University pro-VC AK Rai, former acting VC of Veer Kuer Singh Univeristy (Ara) Leelachandra Saha, PU professor RK Sinha and Amarendra Yadav, are in circulation.
One of them is likely to get the nod during the chancellors proposed meeting with CM on February 22.Highly placed sources said, BRABU may have a new VC by February 28.
The posts of VC in all but one of the state universities fell vacant this month. The lone exception was BN Mandal University (Madhepura), whose VC’s term will end in May. However, it may only be by March-end that the other universities get permanent VCs, official say.
