Govt set to trim list of univ VC aspirants before guv chooses

Govt set to trim list of univ VC aspirants before guv chooses

Bhavika Jain & Hemali Chhapia

Mumbai:  16.12.2021

Whittling down the autonomy of public universities, the state cabinet on Wednesday cleared amendments to the Maharashtra Public University Act, 2016, and decided to shortlist vice-chancellor candidates. Altering the selection method, the state will now receive the list of five nominees picked by the selection panel, choose two and dispatch them to the governor, the chancellor of universities, to finally pick the candidate.

Taking a cue from the agriculture universities, the state also decided the higher education minister will now be the pro chancellor of all state public universities. The pro VC, who is appointed by the chancellor in consultation with the VC, will now be only from a government or an aided college.

“The VC selection process has been changed to avoid the political interference of the chancellor,” said a state officer.

To date, the selection was free of governmental interference. The VC/proVC search panel was headed by a governor’s nominee, one member was recommended by the management council and the third by the academic council. It invited applications, shortlisted aspirants, interviewed them and sent five names to the chancellor, who picked one.

Higher and technical education minister Uday Samant told TOI that these recommendations were made by an expert panel under Sukhdev Thorat, former UGC chairman. The panel was formed to suggest changes in the Act for effective implementation of the national education policy. “The agricultural universities have a post of pro chancellor, which is held by the agriculture minister. It was only the universities under the higher and technical education department which did not have the post,” said Samant. “Also, as far as the selection process of VCs and pro VCs is concerned, we have followed the procedure in the central universities in which the selection panel sends its recommendations to the government which then sends it to the President,” said Samant.

The minister denied speculation that the decision is likely to become another flashpoint between the governor and the MVA government. “The governor is a constitutional post and there is no question of taking away its rights,” said Samant. The ties between the MVA government and Governor B S Koshyari have been strained with differences on a host of issues, including the governor-nominated seats in the legislative council.

Educationist and former principal Anil Rao condemned the decision. “This is an unwarranted attack on the pre-supposed autonomy of academics. The chancellor is the apex authority and above all politics. Higher education should be completely autonomous and miles away from politics. Also, vested dubious interest will creep in with the decision to appoint the higher education minister as the pro chancellor.”

“It is doubtful if there is such over-centralisation of university functions and powers with the government in any other state,” said A Mathew, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration.