Race hots up for KU V-C post
Highlights
With the State Government scaling down the experience criteria required for the appointment of Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs), no less 25 professors of the Kakatiya University (KU) are in the race for the coveted post that has been vacant for about a couple years now.
Warangal: With the State Government scaling down the experience criteria required for the appointment of Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs), no less 25 professors of the Kakatiya University (KU) are in the race for the coveted post that has been vacant for about a couple years now.
Since April 19, 2015, all the universities in Telangana State have been functioning without full-fledged V-Cs. The last one to join the headless varsities list was Satavahana University in Karimnagar. It may be mentioned here that Telangana government has recently invited applications up to January 8 for the post of V-Cs in nine varsities.
In this backdrop, the government on Thursday issued a GO (RT No. 345) constituting a Search Committee consisting of three members. The committee has been entrusted with the duty of selecting a panel of three names. From which, the government is likely to appoint the V-C.
The committee includes former V-C of BR Ambedkar Open University Prof VS Prasad as the nominee of the Executive Committee of KU, Bharati Vidyapeeth V-C Prof Shivaji Rao Kadam as the nominee of UGC and Principal Secretary of Education Department Ranjeev R Acharya as the nominee of the State government.
After the government relaxed the work experience criteria from 10 years to five years, at least 40 odd professors have become eligible for the post in KU. According to the sources, at least 25 of them have already applied for the post.
With little over a week still left for the submission of applications for the V-C post, a few more professors are expected to join the race, Association of Kakatiya University Teachers (AKUT) Prof M Sarangapani, Department of Pharmacy, told The Hans India.
Prof K Seetha Rama Rao, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, who is also in the race for the post, said: “With the government reducing the experience criteria to five years aimed at infusing young blood into the administration, there are quite a few contenders vying for the V-C post. However, experience in academic research and administration play a vital role in choosing the candidate.”
The other professors in the race for the post are GV Bhavani Prasad, Department of Commerce & Business Management, in-charge registrar Khaja Altaf Hussain, Department of Physics, V Ravinder, Department of Chemistry, A Sadanandam, Department of Biotechnology and others, according to university sources.
“Since Prof B Venkataratnam completed his tenure on May 17, 2014 as the V-C, the inordinate delay in appointing of the VC has a spiraling effect on the functioning of the varsity. It crippled the administration under the in-charges rule,” a KU professor said in anonymity. As of now, T Chiranjeevulu, IAS, Director of School Education is the in-charge V-C of the varsity.
Adepu Mahender
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