Jadavpur University (JU) will function without a registrar, who handles daily administrative affairs, for an indefinite period after incumbent Rajat Banerjee retires on August 31.

Twelve candidates had applied for the post, of whom eight appeared for the interview last Friday. “But the authorities found none suitable for the key administrative post,” said a senior JU official.

Students and teachers have urged the authorities to find Banerjee’s successor at the earliest, fearing the “institution of excellence” would plunge into uncertainty once his tenure ends.

Of late, the campus has been rocked by a series of clashes and an incident of ragging. The students and teachers fear that if similar incidents recur, they may spin out of control in the absence of the registrar.

Between Banerjee’s retirement and till his successor takes office, a deputy registrar will officiate as registrar.

A deputy registrar, the secretary of arts and the controller of examinations of Jadavpur University and the principals of Vidyasagar College, New Alipore College and Bijoygarh College were among the 12 candidates who had applied for the registrar’s post.

A relative of a state minister and the wife of a CPM leader were among the applicants.

University sources said the primary reason the authorities had rejected all the candidates was that none had the backing of the CPM.

Jadavpur University, like all state-aided universities, is an autonomous body and can recruit employees on its own following the provisions in its statutes.

“But it’s an open secret that Alimuddin Street has the final say in the recruitment to all crucial posts,” said a senior teacher in the university’s engineering faculty.

“Some of the applicants were quite capable of becoming registrar. But the university rejected all of them for no apparent reason,” the teacher added.

Vice-chancellor P.N.Ghosh refused to comment on last Friday’s proceedings.

“It will take some time to complete the process of selecting the new registrar,” he said.

The university will now have to start the recruitment process afresh. An advertisement will have to be published in newspapers inviting applications from suitable candidates.

The interview can be held only after the candidates are shortlisted.