The Union government has failed to appoint a vice-chancellor for over a year after taking control of the management of the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), severely disrupting its academic activities.
The chancellor of the institute, D.P. Singh, has been accused in a corruption case registered by the CBI involving irregularities in the inspection and regulatory processes of medical colleges across India.
The education ministry in June 2023 amended the regulations for deemed-to-be universities and took over the power to appoint key functionaries in five privately managed deemed universities, including TISS.
The ministry initiated the appointment process for a regular VC in December 2023. The process is still in progress, two institute officials said.
Before June 2023, the sponsoring bodies of these institutions were appointing their own VCs. Officials said that the ministry conducted interviews for the VC's post in December 2024. The list of selected candidates has been submitted by a search panel to the ministry, which has not made a decision yet.
Two students said TISS used to hold its convocation, the degree award ceremony, in May and June every year. However, last year, it was held in September, and this year, the date for the convocation has not been announced yet.
"The students appeared for the final examination in April. They are waiting for their degrees. But the institute is unable to hold convocation, which is an important academic activity," said a student.
The institute used to hold student union elections till 2023-24. In 2024-25, it did not hold the elections without citing a reason. The TISS academic council is supposed to have student representation. Since there is no student union, their representation in the academic body is missing.
R.K. Chauhan, former secretary of the University Grants Commission, said the delay in appointment had bared government inefficiency in running institutions. "There is no dearth of talent in the Indian higher education system. However, talent with specific consideration to certain ideology is the main reason for not filling up the VCs (post) in many universities," he said.