Congress misses VC appointment deadline at 10 State Universities

The Congress government has failed to meet its own deadline of appointing regular Vice Chancellor (VCs) to 10 State universities.

While recently appointing bureaucrats as VCs in-charge, the government had decided to appoint regular VCs to 10 varsities by June 15. For instance, the government orders for Osmania University (OU) issued on May 21 appointed MA&UD department Principal Secretary M Dana Kishore as in-charge VC with immediate effect till the regular Vice Chancellor is appointed, or till June 15, 2024, whichever is earlier.

Like the other nine universities, not much has progressed since then, though in terms of technicality, Dana Kishore’s term as OU incharge VC is over, since the mentioned date happened to be June 15.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is learnt to have directed Education department officials to select the regular VCs before the tenure of outgoing VCs ended on May 21.

However, the process for regular VCs selection appears to have remained on the back burner, despite forming the mandatory university-wise search panels on May 15. Each search committee comprises one each nominee of the State government, University Grants Commission and respective university’s executive council.

According to sources, while the search panels were formed on May 15, the information was communicated to the committee nominees in the last week of May. “The order copy has



mentioned that the search committee meeting will be scheduled shortly.

So far, there is no progress on the committee meeting nor the government has asked for dates for such a meeting. I have no idea why there is a delay in holding the meeting,” one of the nominees of a search panel told ‘Telangana Today’.

As per the rule, university-wise search committee shortlists three names from the eligible applicants for the appointment of VC position and forwards to the government, which in turn sends them to the Governor, who is also chancellor of the universities, for appointment from the given names.

The government had on January 27 issued a notification inviting applications for the 10 state universities. In response to the notification, a total of 1,382 applications were received from 312 candidates, some of whom applied for multiple universities.

Applications for VCs post at glance:

Osmania University: 193

Kakatiya University: 149

Palamuru University: 159

Mahatma Gandhi University: 157

Satavahana University: 158

Telangana University: 135

Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University: 66

Dr. BRAOU : 208

NTU-H: 106

JNAFAU: 51

Grand Total: 1,382