Ranchi, April 25: Believe it or not, the competition to occupy the coveted chairs of the two proposed universities in the state teed off even before the office of the governor-cum-chancellor of universities invited applications.

Sources in the higher education directorate of the state HRD department revealed that at least four names were forwarded by the HRD minister to the chief minister’s office for consideration almost a month before the Raj Bhavan invited applications for appointment to the Kolhan and Neelambar-Pitambar universities.

Amit Khare, the principal secretary to the governor, said that communiqués inviting applications had been sent to all the three existing universities of Jharkhand and all the varsities outside the state on April 21.

A communiqué has also been sent to the University Grants’ Commission (UGC) in this regard.

Raj Bhavan sources said the vice-chancellors of the Ranchi University (RU), Vinoba Bhave University (VBU) and Sidho Kanho Murmu University (SKMU) had been asked to furnish the names of all the teachers and principals in or above the rank of professors.

Fax messages have been sent to the vice-chancellors of 220 universities outside the state requesting them to send the names of interested academicians with their bio-data by May 3.

In this case, too, academicians in or above the rank of professors would be entertained.

Khare told The Telegraph that the names of the inte- rested candidates for the posts of the vice-chancellor and pro vice-chancellor would be first short-listed.

The final decision would be taken after consultation between the governor and the chief minister, he said.

Khare added that the new universities are expected to function from the 2008-09 academic session.

The varsity campuses are agog with activities these days as the bio-data of aspirants are supposed to be routed through the vice-chancellors. Some aspirants for the top chairs were seen busy making their curriculum vitae this week.

One of them said: “Please, publish my name in your esteemed daily as a front- runner for the post of pro- vice-chancellor. I am sending my bio-data to the vice- chancellor's office,” asserted a senior teacher posted at one of the postgraduate departments of Ranchi University.

The new universities are expected to function from 2008-09 academic session.

The Kolhan University will have its headquarters at Chaibasa (the district headquarters of West Singhbhum), while Neelambar- Pitambar University will function from Daltonganj.