Bihar Governor Devanand Konwar

Patna, June 22: All eyes are on Raj Bhavan as in day or two, the chancellor of universities in Bihar, Devanand Konwar, will hold one-to-one discussion with chief minister Nitish Kumar over the regular appointment of vice-chancellors (VCs) in universities, being run by acting VCs at present.

Raj Bhavan sources said regular VCs would be appointed in at least four universities — Bhim Rao Ambedkar Bihar University (Muzaffarpur), Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University (Darbhanga), BN Mandal University (Madhepura) and Maulana Mazharul Haq Arabic and Persian University (Patna).

Moreover, after Supreme Court upheld the decision of Patna High Court decision, quashing the petition of vice-chancellors of Magadh University (Bodh Gaya) and Veer Kuer Singh University (Ara) as the VCs of two universities have moved the apex court, challenging the decision of the Patna High Court. The cases of the two universities will also been taken into consideration.

Arun Kumar Sinha, the acting VC of BN Mandal University, has been given the additional charge of Magadh University today. Meanwhile, human resource development (HRD) department sources said that the state government is in no mood to grant extension to the acting VCs as the next academic session are set to start in many universities and the monsoon session of the Assembly is set to begin in July. Tapan Kumar Shandilya, the pro-VC of Veer Kuer Singh University (Ara) has been given the charge of the VC.

“As the next academic session is set to start next month, the state government doesn’t want to create a image that the state of higher education is in a shambles in Bihar. Moreover, it has been more than six months that half-a-dozen universities in Bihar are running without any regular VCs, giving a blatant tool in the hands of the Opposition for attacking the government,” said a HRD source.

Owing to non-regular appointment of VCs in universities, work has been hampered. Magadh University and Chapra University have been severely hit as teachers and employees of these two universities have not received their salaries for months.

Magadh University and Veer Kuer Singh University are functioning without any regular VC, as Patna High Court has quashed the appointments of the acting vice-chancellors.

Meanwhile, the Federation of University Teachers Association in Bihar (Futab) has sought the attention of the chancellor and the chief minister in regular appointment of vice-chancellors.

Talking to The Telegraph, Futab convener Arun Kumar said: “It is hard time that the chancellor and the state government should arrive at a consensus regarding the regular appointment of vice-chancellors in Magadh University and other universities as administrative work in universities has been hampered owing to non-regular appointment of vice-chancellors.”