Race for KU VC: Candidates give presentations in Delhi

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 9

The presentations of eight shortlisted candidates who are running for the post of Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Kashmir (KU) were held on Monday at the Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi.

Officials said the names of three shortlisted candidates would be submitted to the Chancellor of KU, Governor NN Vohra, after which a final name will be selected.

The eight shortlisted candidates included both local and non-local names.

“It will not take much time now. The selection of the VC is in the final phase. All eyes are on the Chancellor of the university to select the right candidate,” an official said.

In all, 60 people submitted their applications for the post when the first notification was out in March this year and when the post was re-advertised in May, 42 more candidates submitted the application.

The top names, according to officials, include Prof Talat Ahmad who is an Indian Earth scientist and took charge as the Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, on May 15, 2014.

Among the local names, Dr Shahid Rasool, a communication technology specialist, who is also the director of the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia, University of Kashmir, is the top contender.

Another name in the list is Prof Sayyid Zaheer Hussain Jafri from the Department of History, University of Delhi. Prof Sher Ali of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islami, is also one of the candidates whose presentation was held on Monday.

The search committee is headed by Prof DP Agarwal, former chairman of the Union Public Service Commission, Prof Ehtisham Hasnain, Vice Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi and Prof Vijay Gupta, former Vice Chancellor, Sharda University.