Patna, Oct. 22: The Raj Bhavan today constituted the search committees for appointment of vice-chancellors (VCs) and pro-VCs in 11 universities of the state. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the last date for submitting applications for the posts.
According to Raj Bhavan sources, no academician or former vice-chancellor from Bihar has been made the chairman of any of the 11 search committees.
Most of the governor’s nominees in each committee who have been made its chairman are from universities and educational institutions from outside Bihar.
Sudhir Kumar Sopory, the vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, has been made the chairman of the search committee for appointment of vice-chancellors and pro-vice-chancellors of Patna University (PU) and BN Mandal University, Madhepura.
The other members for the PU search committee are N.S Gajbhiye, the VC of Dr Harisingh Gour Central University, Sagar (Madhya Pradesh), and A. Lakshminath, the VC of Chanakya National Law University, Patna. While Sopory and Gajbhiye are Raj Bhavan nominees, Lakshminath is the state government nominee.
All eyes are now looking towards the Raj Bhavan, as the search committees are likely to start interviewing the shortlisted candidates by end-October and finalise their appointments by mid-November.
This is the first time that appointments of vice-chancellors and Pro vice-chancellors are being done on the basis of open advertisements published in national dailies.
R.C. Sobti, the vice-chancellor of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Univesrity, Lucknow, has been made the chairman of the search committee of Magadh University (MU), the state’s biggest university.
The other members of the MU search committee are M.M. Salunkhe, the VC of Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, and former VC of National Law School of India University, Bangalore, N.R. Madhava Menon (state government nominee).
Academicians have welcomed the initiative of appointing eminent personalities as members of search committees. Atul Aditya Pandey, a geology teacher at Patna Science College, said: “The initiative of appointing eminent academicians as members of search committees is encouraging, as good qualified persons would be appointed as vice-chancellors and pro-vice-chancellors through the transparent process.”
The PU teacher’s statement assumes significance, as both Sopory and Sobti are eminent academicians.
Sobti as vice-chancellor won accolades at both the national and the international levels, a fact recognised by the Centre which honoured him with the Padma Shree in 2009.
Sopory has worked at Max-Planck Institute fur Zuchtungsforschung, Koln, Germany, and also at the department of botany, University of Texas, US.
Sources said the Raj Bhavan has received more than 1,200 applications for the posts of vice-chancellors and pro-vice-chancellors, including many former vice-chancellors and pro-vice-chancellors, appointed by former governor-cum-chancellor Devanand Konwar and whose appointments were later quashed by the Supreme Court.
Some candidates from abroad have also reportedly submitted their applications, they added.
