Governor NN Vohra is likely to appoint vice-chancellors of Kashmir and Jammu universities within two or three days, Greater Kashmir has learnt.
The process for selection of the vice-chancellors, which dragged on for months in case of Kashmir University (KU), culminated on Thursday after Vohra interacted in New Delhi with six candidates—three each for the two universities—who made it to the final panel.
The finalists for Jammu University (JU) are Prof Manoj Dhar, department of biotechnology (JU); Prof Piyush Trivedi, VC Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, the University of Technology of Madhya Pradesh and Prof Ramesh Chandra from the department of chemistry, University of Delhi.
Three contenders for the KU are Prof Mushtaq Ahmad Kaw, former dean of colleges KU who is currently head department of history MANUU, Hyderabad; Prof Talat Ahmad, VC Jamia Millia Islamia and former VC of KU and Prof
Mazaahir Kidwai from the department of chemistry, University of Delhi.
The serving VCs of both Kashmir and Jammu universities have completed their tenures and shall demit their offices once the new VCs take over.
The incumbent JU VC Prof RD Sharma had applied again for the post, the search committee did not consider his name. Vice-chancellor KU Prof Khurshid Iqbal Andrabi wasn’t among the applicants this time.
For KU, Prof Talat is the frontrunner.
The hunt for new KU VC began in October 2017 when the three-year tenure of Prof Andrabi ended. Andrabi, however, filed a petition seeking five-year term in accordance with the amendments made in the University Act. The court, however, rejected the petition saying it cannot be given a retrospective effect.
The search committee for both JU and KU is headed by Prof DP Agarwal, former chairman of the Union Public Service Commission. Prof Vijay Gupta, former vice-chancellor of Sharda University and Prof Ehtisham Hasnain, vice-chancellor Jamia Hamdard University, are its two members.