Patna University has got a new vice-chancellor (VC) in Rash Bihari Prasad Singh who so far has officiated as the VC of Nalanda Open University. Singh will join his new office on Tuesday.

Governor Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday appointed three vice-chancellors (VC) and eight pro-VCs in the state by using his powers as the chancellor of universities in Bihar under the Bihar State University Act, 1976, and Patna University Act, 1976.

The newly appointed VCs include Rash Bihari Prasad Singh, who has been made the vice-chancellor of the prestigious Patna University (PU), while Ravindra Kumar Sinha will head Nalanda Open University and Sarvnarayan Jha has been given the top post in Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University (KSDSU).

A communiqué from Raj Bhavan said Kovind made the appointments in the light of the recommendations of the "search committee" constituted to look for VCs and pro-VCs. The names were finalised on the "basis of mutual interaction with the people whose names were recommended by the committee, as well as, effective and positive discussions".

Rash Bihari told The Telegraph that he remembered his long association with the university when he took admission at Patna College half-a-century ago as a student of geography. He went on to become a teacher at his alma mater in 1976. He was also the vice-chancellor of Nalanda Open University from 2014 to 2017.

"My first priority as VC will be to improve the education quality and strengthen it. I will take all possible steps for it. I have been a product of this great university and I want to bring back its previous prestige and glory," Rash Bihari said.

Dolly Sinha, former principal of Magadh Mahila College, has been appointed the pro-VC of Patna University. Among other new pro-vice chancellors are Chandreshwar Prasad Singh (Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University), Karyanand Paswan (Magadh University), Ram Yatan Prasad (Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University), Raj Kumar Mandal (Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University), Jai Gopal (LN Mithila University), Sayyed Rafiq Azam (Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University) and Madan Mohan Goyal (Veer Kunwar Singh University).

All these appointees will enjoy a tenure of three years from the date of their respective appointments.