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 Vice Chancellor (VC) of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST)-Kashmir finally convened its meeting last week.
An official said the committee convened its first meeting to scrutinize the applications received for the post of the VC SKUAST-K.
“Around 80 applications have been received for the VC post of SKUAST-K. The committee convened its first meeting to go through the applications of the candidates and scrutinize them for further process,” a top official told Greater Kashmir.
Headed by the 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 UGC or his nominee and VC SKUAST, Jammu.
This newspaper carried a series of stories about the delay in appointment of the new VC for the University after the former VC completed his term in October last year.
As already reported, three months after the constitution of the search committee, the agriculture production and farmers welfare department in October last year issued a notification inviting applications for the appointment of a new VC for the university. The last date for submission of application was November 06.
“Since then the committee convened first meeting some days ago to frame a panel of the candidates and submit to the Chancellor for his approval to appoint the VC for the University,” the official said.
The official said the committee will convene two meetings more before finalizing the panel of candidates for its submission to the Chancellor.
“Now the search committee has started its process, we are hopeful that a permanent VC will be appointed for the university soon,” he said.
Pertinently, the director extension SKUAST-K, Prof Mushtaq Ahmad who was appointed as acting VC of the university attained superannuation by the end of March.
Later, the J&K government assigned the charges to the Vice Chancellor SKUAST-Jammu, Dr JP Sharma as his additional assignment till a permanent VC is appointed for the University.
Sharma is also the member of the search committee constituted by the government to draw a panel of the candidates for the post of VC SKUAST-K.
Amid the delay in the appointment of a permanent VC, most of the key positions are vacant in the Varsity which has hampered the academic and administrative work of the University.
The post of Registrar, Director Research and Director Education besides other key posts is vacant in the University.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, the in-charge VC SKUAST-K Dr JP Sharma said the charges of the vacant posts will be given to the people working in the University.
“We will give the charges to the people next week,” he said.
He however refused to divulge the information about the working of the search committee.