The inordinate delay in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in around 20 of the 40 Central Universities including the prestigious JNU, BHU, Delhi University and Hyderabad University has led to ‘indecisiveness’ in the administrative as well as academic preparedness of the institutions for more than a year now, especially amidst the pandemic and when the Centre has embarked on to its ambitious New Education Policy (NEP).

Sources in the Ministry of Education said that the delay in appointments even after the recommendation of names by selection and search panels has even resulted in the cancellation of the Vice Chancellors virtual conference with Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank twice last month. It was scheduled following the meetings with State Education Ministers on the matter of Board examinations.

Sources in the Ministry confirmed that selection of the VCs of 18 Central Universities is complete and technically pending at the “highest offices”. “There is no role of ACC or PMO in the appointments of VCs as this is done by the Rashtrapati Bhawan who is the Visitor of all the Central Universities. In between, after the clearances from the selection panel the MoE has sent all the files pertaining to the appointments unofficially to the PMO. Though this is not a rule, this has been a practice even in the past,” said a top MoE official. 

Former Visitor’s (President of India) Nominee to several Central universities Prof J P Sharma said such a circumstance has never been heard earlier. “In the present state of affairs we come across people in ad hoc positions, officiating postings, OSDs running not only the central universities but various universities and institutions across the country. Perhaps, this is for the first time that such a situation has come in the last few years. The present regime has also forgone the convention in appointing members of councils. Earlier, not less than a Professor used to be a member to maintain the decorum as well as sanctity of objective academics but now even a new recruit has been heard to hold such positions in education councils,” said Sharma, who retired as Dean of the Business Faculty at Delhi School of Economics.

As of now, 20 of the 40 central universities have no full-time VCs which is affecting the day to day challenges involved in offline education and administration of the universities and in turn, colleges affiliated and recognized by these universities.

Some of the other Central universities without its top man for more than a year are Central Universities of Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu, Manipur, Hari Singh Gour University Madhya Pradesh, Central University Manipur, Central University of Hyderabad, South Bihar University, the North East Hill University, Rajasthan Central University, Kashmir Central University, the Maulana Azad National Urdu University in Hyderabad and the Guru Ghasidas central university.

As per procedure, at least six months before a Vice Chancellor’s term ends, the education ministry sets up a search cum-selection committee to find a new VC. The committee then submits a ‘panel’ of names – mostly a list of three names – to the education ministry for informal ‘vetting’ and ‘due diligence’. These are then sent to the Visitor to all central universities for approval, after which the final appointments are announced.

Former Delhi University Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh regretted the delay in the appointments which is ultimately hampering the higher education in the country. “The delay is affecting the appointments and recruitment strength of the other teaching and non-teaching manpower of the universities and most of the colleges and institutions affiliated to the Central University. It seems education is not this government’s priority,” Singh told The Pioneer when sought for his comments on the matter.