Term of 3 varsity VCs nears end in J&K

Srinagar, Oct 20: The three-year term of Vice Chancellors (VCs) at three universities in Jammu and Kashmir, including Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU), Cluster University Srinagar (CUS), and Cluster University Jammu (CUJ), is nearing end with academicians urging the Chancellor of the J&K Universities to initiate selection process in advance.

With less than six months remaining until their terms expire, academicians have urged the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha, who is also the Chancellor for J&K Universities that timely intervention would allow the new VCs to be appointed in a timely manner and avoid the complications associated with temporary appointments.

A senior University Professor said that as the term of VCs nears end, it “becomes unprofessional on their part to take policy decisions and rush through recruitments due to which it raises questions of impropriety.”

“After the expiry of their formal three-year terms, it takes another six months to appoint a new VC and this period also goes to waste. Therefore it is better if the process to appoint new VCs is initiated three months in advance so that universities do not suffer on account of lack of decisions,” the professor told Greater Kashmir.

“Therefore, the last six months of VC tenure causes policy paralysis in Universities which can be done away with if new appointments take place in advance,” he said.

Another academician said that initiating the process to appoint VCs in advance will do away with hopes that VCs carry for their possible extensions. “It will also do away with politicking concerning extensions,” he said.

Notably, on February 13 of 2021, the J&K government appointed Prof. Akbar Masood as the VC of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) in Rajouri for a three-year term. This appointment was made by the Chancellor of the universities in J&K, exercising the powers vested in him under Statute 2 Clause (1) of the Schedule appended to the Jammu and Kashmir Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) Act, 2002. Prof. Masood now has only four months left to complete his three-year tenure, with his term set to expire in February 2024.

Prof Akbar Masood, in his three year term as VC BGSBU has taken some revolutionary decisions which benefited the University, staff and the students alike.

The VC in 2021 announced a 50 percent fee waiver for female students and in his second year enhanced it to 60 percent. He also announced 100 percent scholarship for orphan students and 50 percent scholarship for female toppers of class 12th students. He also announced a 50 percent waiver for wards of class IV employees of the University with Rs 1000 scholarship as well.

He also cleared promotion of teaching and non-teaching faculty of the University which was pending since long.

Meanwhile, On April 1 of 2021, Professor (Dr) Qayyum Husain was appointed as the VC of Cluster University of Srinagar, also for a three-year term. Furthermore, Professor Bechan Lal was appointed as the VC of the Cluster University of Jammu on January 25, 2021, for a three-year term. Prof Bechan Lal, from Banaras Hindu University, took over as the VC of Cluster University of Jammu on February 9, 2021, and in accordance with the order, his term will conclude after three years, counting from the date he assumed the position.

The academicians highlighted the challenges posed by a delayed appointment of VCs noting that in the past the delayed appointment of VCs for the University did not prove fruitful at all because the person who is given additional charge or made a temporary VC does not take any policy decisions, thus affecting the functions of the institution.

“Even if the incumbent VC is given an extension until the new VC is appointed, it again does not serve any purpose as he remains guarded and does not take any policy decisions,” he said.