The search-cum-selection committee has shortlisted a panel of four for the high-profile Vice-Chancellor’s post in the Delhi University. The list of shortlisted candidates has been forwarded to the HRD Ministry for approval. After Ministry’s approval, the final name would be sent to the President for his approval.
Sources told The Pioneer that the search committee has shortlisted JNU professor (School of life Sciences), Rameshwar Nath Kaul Bamezai, dean of the law Faculty at South Asian University, Yogesh Tyagi, former IIT professor and UPSC member Hemchand Gupta and DU professor in Political Science department Bidyuth Chakraborty. The committee consisting of three members — including UGC chairman and former CAG Vinod Rai and former chairman of the Union Public Service Commission D P Agrawal — shortlisted the names in a meeting on December 13.
“The names have been finalised and sent to the HRD Ministry. There are four names that have gone to the Ministry, which will review the shortlisted candidates. It would decide on a name and send it to President Pranab Mukherjee for a final nod or not. Most likely the university will get a new head by January next year,” a source told The Pioneer.
While speaking to a senior official at the Delhi University, he said Bamezai is one of the sought after candidates for the post. “He has also served as the V-C of Mata Vaishno Devi University in Katra, Jammu. We were expecting some names from the university itself,” he said.
Besides Bamezai, DU professor of Political Science Bidyut Chakrabarty is also close in the race. Chakrabarty is a known political analyst and out of many other candidates from the DU, his name is the only one that has been shortlisted, as per the sources.
The committee had called the candidates for an interaction before shortlisting their names on December 13 and Delhi University teachers dominated the list. This included Bidyut Chakrabarty of political science department, Mazaahir Kidwai of chemistry department, Avinashi Kapoor of electronics department, Rup lal of department of zoology as well as dean (examinations), Chandrasekhar Dubey, acting head of DU's Campus for Open learning; and Ramesh Chandra of chemistry department.
Gupta has been suggested by the HRD Ministry as he is also a member in the UPSC. It is likely that the HRD Ministry might make suggestions to the panel to consider more candidates. The Ministry will send the list to the President who is also the Visitor of the university to finalise the candidate for the post of VC. Presently, the acting V-C is Sudhish Pachauri after Dinesh Singh handed over the charge on October 28.