J&K government has set-up a selection committee to recommend for appointment of Vice Chancellor (VC) Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology (SKUAST)-Kashmir. The five-year tenure of the incumbent VC is ending in October this year.
As per an order issued by Principal Secretary Agriculture Production, Navin Kumar Choudhary, “Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of the selection committee for drawing up a panel of names for appointment to the post of Vice Chancellor of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Science and Technology-Kashmir.”
The committee is headed by Financial Commissioner Finance, Arun Kumar Mehta while other members include Director General (DG) Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR); Chairman UGC or his nominee, VC SKUAST, Jammu, Dr JP Sharma and nominee of the Chancellor of the University.
The SKUAST teachers and scientists have, however, opposed the move, saying the VC of an academic institution cannot be selected by a bureaucrat.
“It is violation of norms and it seems that bureaucrats want to overpower the academic institutions,” said spokesman of the Teachers and Scientists Association.
President of the Association, Prof Sher Ahmad Dar said as per the University Act, it was the prerogative of the Chancellor, who is the Chairman of the University Council, to approve the constitution of the selection committee to appoint a VC for the university.
“The selection is not made by a bureaucrat,” he said.
The J&K Lieutenant Governor (LG) GC Murmu is the Chancellor of the University and also heads the University Council.
“A Vice Chancellor of a University is selected by well-known academician or any retired Vice Chancellor of a national level University,” he said.
He said it was against the precedence to appoint a bureaucrat as head of the selection committee to appoint the Vice Chancellor. He said DG ICAR should have been the head of the committee, but J&K government has not followed the precedence.
“We are not against any bureaucrat but we demand that the dignity of an academician and academic institutions should be respected,” the Association President said.
Earlier, Higher Education Department had appointed a bureaucrat as head of the selection committee to appoint VCs for Cluster Universities of Srinagar and Jammu. However, the department faced criticism over the move following which the LG ordered for reconstitution of the search committee which was headed by a Vice Chancellor.
Principal Secretary Choudhary said the committee has been constituted by the “competent authority” and its convener was “as good as an academician.”
He said Mehta has PhD in environmental science and he was of the rank Secretary to Government of India.
“I don’t think he is less than any academician,” he said.
Choudhary said the committee will deliberate among themselves and submit recommend the names for the VC position to the LG for final selection.