Patna, July 5: Expressing anguish over the ad hocism prevailing in the state universities, the high court today asked the secretariat of the chancellor of universities, Devanand Konwar, who is also the governor, to clear its stand on a PIL seeking appointment of full-fledged vice-chancellors.

A division bench of Justice S.K. Katriar and Justice Vikas Jain sought response from the chancellor while hearing a petition filed by Janardan Singh. A retired professor of mathematics of SNS College in Motihari, Sinha sought direction to the chancellor and the state government to appoint regular VCs in all the universities for facilitating and maintaining proper academic atmosphere on the university campuses.

The matter would be listed for hearing after the court gets the receipt of delivery of the notice at the chancellor’s secretariat, the court said.

Arguing for the petitioner, advocate Prabhat Kumar Singh said the academic atmosphere in the universities was adversely affected in the absence of permanent VCs, appointed for a term of three years.

Ad hocism might lead to controversy, allegations, disputes, litigation — all antithesis to a healthy academic atmosphere, Singh said. He claimed that the universities were reduced to factories generating degrees, which are not enough to help the degree-holders earn their livelihood.

Of the 11 state universities, temporary VCs have been functioning in seven. They include Patna University, JP University in Chhapra, BN Mandal University in Madhepura, BRA Bihar University in Muzaffarpur, Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University in Darbhanga, Magadh University in Bodh Gaya and VKS University in Ara.

The counsel further submitted that the pro-VC of Magadh University was discharging duty as VC of two universities — Magadh and JP University.

A single-judge bench of the high court on May 4 directed both the government and the chancellor to take steps to bring to an end the ad hocism prevailing in the universities by appointing non-controversial, competent and honest persons as VCs and pro-VCs.

Arguing for the government, additional advocate-general Lalit Kishore submitted that the government had sent a panel of names for the appointment of VCs in these universities to the chancellor’s secretariat. The human resource development minister had written twice for having consultation in this regard but no action was taken on the part of the chancellor’s secretariat till date.