After CUJ, post of VC BSGBU advertised afresh

Srinagar, May 17: The authorities have advertised the post of Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) Rajouri afresh after the panel of candidates submitted to the Chancellor of the University was quashed.

The development comes around two weeks after the panel of candidates for appointment of Vice Chancellor Cluster University (CU) Jammu was quashed and the notifications for the post were advertised afresh on May 1, 2024.

The advertisement for the appointment of VCs in both universities was issued around two months after the panels of candidates for the VC's post of Central University Jammu and BGSBU Rajouri were submitted to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha who is also the Chancellor of the J&K universities, by the search committee, for the appointment of the new VC for both the universities.

While the stakeholders were awaiting the appointment of the new VC for the BGSBU Rajouri, the Registrar of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) on behalf of the selection committee, on May 17, 2024, issued a notification afresh, inviting applications from the eligible candidates for appointment of VC for BGSBU, Rajouri.

The Cluster University (CU) Jammu on May 1, 2024, re-advertised the post of the VC for the university and the last date for the submission of the applications was fixed as May 21, 2024.

Meanwhile, as per the notification issued by Registrar SMVDU, the candidate applying for VC BGSBU’s post should be a person of the highest level of academic credentials, administrative competence, integrity, morals, and institutional commitment.

“The candidate should be a visionary with proven leadership qualities as well as teaching and research credentials. He should have an outstanding academic record throughout and a minimum of 10 years’ experience as a professor in a university system or an equivalent position in a reputed research, academic, or administrative organisation,” the notification reads.

It reads that the age of the candidates should not be more than 65 years on the closing date of receipt of applications of this advertisement which has been fixed as June 7, 2024.

The hunt for the appointment of the new VC for BGSBU began on January 1 of this year after the J&K government constituted the search committee to draw the panel of candidates for the appointment of the new vice chancellor of the university.

The process for appointment of VC BGSBU is being operated through SMVDU as the notification issued for inviting applications for the post of VC BGSBU has been issued by the Registrar SMVDU.

Also, the interaction of the candidates shortlisted for the post of VC BGSBU as per the previous notification was held with the search committee on February 7 and 8, 2024, in New Delhi following which the final panel of candidates was submitted to the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha who is also the Chancellor of the J&K universities.

Similarly, the shortlisted candidates for the post of VC CU Jammu also had interaction with the search committee and the final panel of candidates was submitted to the Chancellor for the appointment of VC for the university.

Greater Kashmir on October 20, 2023, reported that the three-year term of VCs at three universities in J&K - BGSBU, Cluster University Srinagar, and Cluster University Jammu was nearing the end and time was ripe for the J&K government to initiate the selection process in advance.

The J&K government appointed Prof Akbar Masood as the VC BGSBU Rajouri on February 13, 2021, for a three-year term.

His term expired in February 2024.

Also, Prof Bechan Lal was appointed as the VC CU Jammu on January 25, 2021, for a three-year term while Prof Qayyum Husain was appointed VC Cluster University Srinagar on April 1, 2021, for a three-year term.