Mysuru: Looks like the State Government has finally woken up to the ugly public spat between Acting Vice-Chancellor of University of Mysore Prof. Dayanand Mane and Registrar Prof. R. Rajanna as it has asked the Search Committee constituted to appoint a new Vice-Chancellor to meet in May to finalise probable candidates.
The war of words indulged by Prof. Mane and Prof. Rajanna has already divided the student and the teaching community in the university who are giving statements in favour of either Prof. Rajanna or Prof. Mane justifying each other.
The Search Committee’s responsibility is to finalise a list of three probable candidates and submit it to the Higher Education Department which will forward it (after its approval of one name) to the Governor who is the Chancellor of Universities in Karnataka for approval. The committee is expected to complete its assignment in one sitting.
According to sources in the Higher Education Department, the Panel, that was constituted three months ago, has been asked to meet in May to speed up the V-C appointment process. With this, the State Government is trying to end the fight between the Acting V-C and the Registrar – the two high-ranking authorities of the University.
The Search Committee is headed by former Vice-Chancellor of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) Prof. H.P. Khincha and the other members are V-C of the Central University (Kalaburagi) Prof. H.M. Maheshwaraiah, UGC Member V.S. Chauhan and former UGC Chairman Prof. Hari Gautham. While Prof. Khincha is the nominee of the State Government, Chauhan is the UGC representative and Hari Gautham is the nominee of University of Mysore. Prof. Maheshwaraiah is the Governor’s nominee.
The University of Mysore’s Vice-Chancellor’s post has been lying vacant since Jan. 10 this year after incumbent V-C Prof. K.S. Rangappa demitted office following the completion of a 4-year term.
Though the Search Committee was constituted soon after Prof Rangappa’s demitting office, it had not met as there was a controversy regarding one of its members Prof. M. Muniyamma.
The appointment of former Gulbarga V-C Muniyamma had created a controversy as she had earlier worked as a Professor in the University of Mysore and as per norms, the Search Committee must have only those members who do not have any association with the university.
This controversy made Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala, who had nominated her as his representative, to replace her and appoint Prof. Maheshwaraiah.
There are more than 150 aspirants to the V-C’s post and the Search Committee has a tough task in the selection.
Disgraceful, nauseating, to say the least. Flush out rogues during the search process which must be done with the utmost seriousness and thoroughly, not just perfunctorily, Look into the history of the aspirants to ensure that they are NOT TAINTED. Obtain a clean chit from the agencies concerned, including, of course, the State Intelligence services to eliminate red rag radicals. And ensure that the aspirants are truly committed to teaching. Better go for an OUTSIDER who is detached from local politics, as such an appointee would be able to rise above partisan considerations in the governance of this University and who has no vested interest in becoming Vice-Chancellor. All those who are involved in lobbying must be disqualified for the post. As simple as that.