Ranchi: Governor Droupadi Murmu on Friday appointed vice chancellors to the two newly formed universities here and in Dhanbad, besides making other key appointments.
Botany professor of Ranchi University (RU) A.K. Shrivastava has been named VC of Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University in Dhanbad. A.K. Mahto, a professor of mathematics also at RU, has been named its pro-vice chancellor.
Professor of anthropology at RU S.N. Munda will be the VC of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee University in Morabadi.
Among others, RU botany professor H.P. Sharma been made the pro-vice chancellor of Sido Kanhu Murmu University in Dumka while Pawan Poddar of Marwari College, Bhagalpur (Bihar), is the new pro-VC of Nilamber Pitamber University in Palamau.
On February 24, Raj Bhavan had begun its search for vice chancellors. March 19 was the last date for filing applications. "Following several rounds of meetings and scrutiny, the names were notified today (Friday)," said a source at the chancellor's office.
"It is a huge responsibility and my focus will be to promote research-oriented activities," said Munda, the new VC of the Morabadi-based varsity.
In November 2017, chief minister Raghubar Das had laid the foundation stone of Koylanchal university in Bhelatand mouza, fulfilling a 32-year-old demand of residents for a separate varsity in the Coal Belt. In April the same year, it was notified that Ranchi College, one of the oldest cradles under RU, would be converted into a university.
The Koylanchal campus, coming up on nearly 25 acres at a cost of Rs 348.50 crore (the highest allocation for any varsity in the state), is likely to be ready by 2020. At least 48 colleges in Dhanbad and Bokaro will be de-linked from Vinoba Bhave University in Hazaribagh and brought under Koylanchal university.
Founded in 1926, Ranchi College had received autonomous status from UGC in January 2009. In October 2015, the state cabinet decided to accord it varsity status. Raj Bhavan accepted the higher education department's recommendation to rename the institute after Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee. It currently has over 4,000 UG and PG students.
