Mysuru: Prof. C. Basavaraju has been appointed as the third in-charge Vice- Chancellor (VC) of University of Mysore (UoM) within a year.

Governor Vajubhai R. Vala has ratified the appointment of Prof. Basavaraju, who is the Dean of Law Faculty and in the light of this, the Higher Education Department Secretary yesterday passed an order appointing him as in-charge VC.

Prof. K.S. Rangappa demitted office on Jan. 10, 2017. Since there was a delay in the appointment of a regular VC, Prof. Yashwantha Dongre held charge as VC for just over a month from Jan.11 to Feb. 18.

Then it was the turn of Prof. Dayananda Mane, who held office from Feb.19 to Nov. 22. His term ended yesterday. The Governor had rejected the shortlisted names of three aspirants recommended by the Search Committee set up by the Government twice. Hence, a regular Vice-Chancellor is eluding the University of Mysore since the last 11 months.

Even before the term of Prof. Mane ended, two names for the in-charge Vice-Chancellor had been sent to the Governor’s office, which included the names of Prof. Basavaraju and Prof. T.K. Umesh, Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology.

Taking the seniority and other considerations, the Governor finally chose Prof. Basavaraju’s name last evening. He was earlier the Registrar of University of Mysore. He assumed charge today.

According to University sources, the Government is likely to take a decision shortly to appoint a regular Vice-Chancellor once the Assembly session is over in Belagavi.

There is lot of pressure from the former Vice-Chancellors’ Forum also to see that a regular VC is appointed at the earliest. The University is going in for Institution of Eminence Status and one of the criteria for that is the presence of a regular Vice- Chancellor, said a former Vice- Chancellor of UoM speaking to Star of Mysore.