Patna, April 27: A masterstroke by Governor D.Y. Patil with the ad hoc appointment of vice-chancellors and pro-vice-chancellors in state universities has ended the apparent cold war between the government and Raj Bhavan.

Patil, an educationist himself, picked administrators with a “clean track record” —something allegedly overlooked during his predecessor Devanand Konwar’s tenure with several vice-chancellors facing vigilance investigation.

Sources in the education department said the state government was quite happy with the new appointments.

“The appointees of Konwar had always been a problem for the state government. It was alleged that the former governor never followed the required process when it came to the appointments. The state government and Raj Bhavan were at loggerheads,” said a source in the department.

On March 18, the Supreme Court had said that the senior-most dean of each university would function as VC.

On April 23, the apex court had allowed the Bihar governor to appoint interim officials to various universities whose appointments were earlier stayed upon an appeal filed by the state government.

Shivdeep Lande, the ADC-cum-official spokesperson of Raj Bhavan, told The Telegraph: “The stress was on a clean image and record. It was also emphasised that the VCs and pro-VCs to be appointed were among the senior-most professors. So, their records and profiles were thoroughly checked. The chancellor didn’t stress much on the appointment of deans as the post is rotated every two years. Those chosen are very qualified and might have been deans at some point of time.”

People in academic cir- cles found the new chancellor’s move a reversal from the past when a long spell of controversy would follow appointments

The interim VC of Patna University, Arun Kumar Sinha, is an alumnus of the varsity.

He pursued MSc from Patna University after doing his BSc in statistics from Patna Science College in 1967. He was a gold medallist both times. Later, he joined the varsity as a lecturer in November 1970. Between 1991 and 1994, Sinha went on leave during which he was a visiting professor at Pennsylvania State University among other foreign institutions. He was made the head of department, statistics, in May 2008 and dean of the faculty of science a year later.

Sudipto Adhikari, the interim pro-VC of Patna University, is also said to have a clean record. Joining Patna University as a geography lecturer in October 1971, he became a professor by 1987. Later, he was appointed the dean of the faculty of science and also served as the Patna University VC from January-August 2011.

Lande said: “All the other VCs and pro-VCs are equally qualified and of a senior level. Their track record is impeccable and clean.”

Sri Ram Singh, interim VC, Veer Kunwar Singh University, Ara, has also been the varsity’s science dean. He was appointed a professor on July 3, 1988. He had also served as acting principal of DK College in Dumraon from March 3, 2003, to May 10, 2004.