Delay in appointment of VC at Bangalore University

The Karnataka Higher Education Minister C.T. Ravi has postponed the announcement of the appointment of new Vice-Chancellor of Bangalore University (BU) by a few days.

Sources from the Higher Education Department said, that the minister had not sent the final name to the Governor for the appointment of VC, due to the present prevailing political situation.

The names of Prof N Rangaswamy, acting Vice-Chancellor of BU, M C Radhakrishna, Professor of Physics, Bangalore University and Dr S B Hinchigeri from Karnatak University, Dharwad were shortlisted for the appointment of New VC to BU, at meeting held in last week.

Former Vice-Chancellor of Kuvempu University S P Hiremath, Karnatak University Vice-Chancellor S K Saidapur, Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Deshpande, who were in the search committee members had shortlisted the final names for appointment.

On Thursday, a high level meeting was held at Bangalore in the absence of the fourth member S K Joshi, the nominee of University Grants Commission (UGC) and former director of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The fourth member of the search committee Prof Joshi, alleged that he was not contacted to attend the meeting for finalising the names of Vice-Chancellor candidates.

He also said that although having informed that he would be unable to attend the meeting, the committee members went ahead with the final name his absence.

Commenting on the incident, Joshi said, "I don't know why they have took such a step even after I told them that i'm available after February 4. They should have a better way of arrange a meeting. I know Prof Saidapur, very well and I think he would have taken a better decision,"

However, Joshi said that he is not ready to put a rubber stamp on their selection. "But I can attend the meeting, if they agreed to have a meeting after February 4", Joshi added.

S K Saidapur, Chairman of Search committee said, "It was not my job to collect the opinion of a member who was absent and it its left to the principal secretary. Even I was informed that meeting was fixed and I attended it. It is not statutory body and we do not have any powers and we were just there to sit and select,"

Rajanish Goel, Principal Secretary of Higher Education said, "We don't need to collect the opinion of a person who was absent for the meeting. The chairman of the committee fixed the meeting and it was decided in a week's notice,"