The government Wednesday assigned additional charge of Vice Chancellor (VC) of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST-K) to the VC SKUAST-Jammu, Prof J P Sharma.
The decision was taken as the incumbent incharge VC SKUAST-K Prof Mushtaq Ahmad attained superannuation from his service.
Prof Mushtaq was Director Extension of SKUAST-K and was also holding additional charge of Registrar of the university. In an official communication addressed to Deputy Registrar SKUAST-K, the Additional Secretary in Raj BhawanKrishanLal said that Lieutenant Governor (LG) ManojSinha who is also the Chancellor of the J&K universities had given approval that VC SKUAST-J Prof J P Sharma would hold additional charge of Vice Chancellor of SKUAST-K till further orders.
“A selection committee for drawing up a panel of names for appointment to the post of Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K has been constituted and the process will take some time to conclude,” the official communication reads.
The search committee constituted by the J&K government in July last year to draw a panel of names for appointment to the post of VC SKUAST-K is yet to start the process.
The committee has not convened any meeting in the last five months after the applications were invited from the candidates for the post of VC SKUAST-K.
Headed by Financial Commissioner Arun Kumar Mehta as its convener, the other members of the search committee include Director General (DG) Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR); Chairman University Grants Commission (UGC) or his nominee and VC SKUAST, Jammu.
Meanwhile, the government decision to encourage adhocism in universities is being seen as unhealthy move by the academicians who say that holding a VC position was not merely about passing certain directions which could be done online but about taking decisions on policy matters in consultation with local academics and functionaries.
“A VC from another region, 300 kilometers from Kashmir, is given additional charge of a position as important as a VC of a university,” a university professor said. “This is surprising and shocking.”
The academicians said that it was better to hand over the charge to a senior professor from within the university itself for its smooth functioning.
“Having an interim VC from a university which is in another region also sends a wrong signal that the authorities are not serious about such important institutions,” he said.