Patna, April 9: The state cabinet today gave its nod to the ordinance for appointment of eminent academics as vice-chancellors and pro-vice-chancellors through a three-member search committee comprising persons of national repute.

“The state cabinet approved the proposal of the education department to bring an ordinance to effect certain amendments in the Bihar State Universities Act, 1976, Patna University Act, 1976, and Nalanda Open University Act, 1995,” cabinet co-ordination department secretary Brajesh Mehrotra told reporters here, adding that the appointments to the posts of VCs and pro-VCs would be made through the search committee.

The education department’s principal secretary would be the ex-officio member of the three-member panel. The other two — of high academic repute — would be the chancellor’s nominees.

The chancellor’s (governor) first nominee would a noted scholar of national repute or a Padma awardee in the field of academics. The other should either be the director or the head of institutions such as IIT, IISc or Isro, the secretary said.

The government’s move to streamline the appointment of VCs and pro-VCs assumes significance against the backdrop of a tussle between the Nitish government and the former governor, Devanand Konwar, over the appointment of VCs and pro-VCs.

The unilateral appointments made by the Raj Bhavan without consultation with the state government brought disrepute to the academic environment. Later, both the single and the division bench of the high court found credence in the state government’s assertion that it was not consulted on the appointments.

The state government had even questioned the credentials of the people recommended by the Raj Bhavan for appointment as VCs in different universities.

In another important decision, the state cabinet approved the creation of the state’s first anti-terrorist squad (ATS) police station in Patna to deal with cases related to terrorist activities, Mehrotra, the secretary said.

The ATS police station would be headed by an officer of the rank of deputy superintendent of police. It would have its jurisdiction across the state over the incidents of terrorist activities. It would specially deal with the cases of terrorist activities having direct or indirect connection with the state. The police station would lodge FIR in connection with terror attacks or any kind of terrorist activities.

Bihar has not witnessed any major terror attacks but over a dozen Indian Mujahideen operatives have been apprehended from Madhubani, Darbhanga, Samastipur and Nalanda districts by the National Investigating Agency. The cabinet also approved the proposal regarding selection of a master plan consultant for the construction and the development of a science city in Patna. It sanctioned Rs 4.25 crore for the selection of the consultant.

Besides, it approved the creation of the post of energy advisor to the chief minister and sanctioned Rs 263.3 crore to promote paddy production through SRI (systematic root intensification) technique under the National Agriculture Development Scheme in the 2013-14 fiscal, Mehrotra said.

The cabinet altogether approved 30 proposals, including 14 related to land transfer to different departments.