Haryana: Wannabe VCs told to submit Rs 2K with form

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, September 2

In a new norm, the aspirants for the post of a state university Vice-Chancellor have been asked to fill an application form and submit it along with a fee of Rs 2,000 by a stipulated date to have their candidature considered.

As per a recent advertisement given by the Director-General (Technical Education), Haryana, the candidates for the post of Vice-Chancellor of Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology (GJUST), Hisar, are required to enclose a bank draft of the prescribed amount and attested copies of their certificates/documents along with the application form.

Sources maintain that it is for the first time in the state that applications for the coveted post have been sought in such a manner.

The state’s academicians have decried the move, terming it disgraceful and humiliating. “Earlier, the government used to constitute search committees to prepare a panel of eligible academicians and invite them for appointment as vice-chancellors. Now, vice-chancellors are being appointed on the pattern of clerks and peons,” lamented a professor serving in a state university. A former professor, who was an aspirant for the post of Vice-Chancellor, said he had dropped the idea of applying in view of the manner in which the application had to be moved.

“It is an open secret that the vice-chancellors are appointed primarily on the basis of political considerations. And now, the situation has come to such a pass that potential vice-chancellors are required to fill application forms and submit these along with the prescribed fee and attested testimonials. Any well-meaning academician with good credentials would not apply for the coveted post under such circumstances even if he/she is eligible for it,” he stated.