Bhubaneswar, March 9: The search committee for selecting the next vice-chancellor of Utkal University is yet to be constituted though incumbent P.K. Sahoo set to retire on May 2.

The campus is alive with discussions on who would be the next vice-chancellor. Varsity insiders are also concerned over the delay in setting up of the search committee for the purpose.

“Ideally, the search committee should be set up three to four months before the retirement of the vice-chancellor. However, the process has been much delayed this time. There is hardly a month left,” said a senior professor of the varsity.

According to the procedure, selection of the vice-chancellor starts with the constitution of a three-member search committee. The university syndicate, UGC and the chancellor’s office nominate the committee members. The nominees are to be from the field of higher education and should not be connected in any manner with the university concerned.

While the university syndicate has already sent the name of its member — vice-chancellor of Sri Sri University Kailash Mishra — to the chancellor’s office, two other names are yet to be finalised.

An official at the governor’s office said governor-chancellor S.C. Jamir was out of station during the time resulting in the delay.

“However, the committee will be formed shortly, may be in next two or three days,” he said. When this is done, applications will be invited from the interested candidates meeting the criteria.

According to the UGC guidelines, the vice-chancellor candidate should be a distinguished academician, with a minimum of 10 years of experience as a professor in a university system or so in an equivalent position in a reputed research or academic administrative organisation. He must be of the highest level of competence, integrity, morals and institutional commitment, state the guidelines.

While selecting the candidates, the search committee has to give proper weightage to academic excellence, exposure to the higher education system in the country and abroad, and adequate experience in academic and administrative governance, the guidelines say.

The committee would then scan through the applications and recommend three names to the chancellor.

The chancellor reserves the right to either accept the recommendation of the committee or pick someone on his own. A good number of candidates are expected to apply for the post. The race for the coveted post is being keenly watched.