Appoint Dean as officiating VC of PTU, Punjab Governor tells Bhagwant Mann

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, January 25

Amid unease between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the latter has asked the state government to appoint the seniormost Dean (Faculty) or professor as the officiating Vice-Chancellor of IK Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU), Kapurthala, in place of the Secretary, Technical Education.

The Governor’s instructions will be the withdrawal of the precedence to appoint the Secretary, Technical Education, as the officiating VC till the appointment of a regular VC.

Earlier, the Governor had sought to know as to why the seniormost Dean (Faculty) could not be given the officiating charge of the VC.

The VC’s post has been lying vacant since April 2021 after the term of Prof Dr AK Sharma ended. Five Secretaries, Technical Education, Ramesh Kumar, Raj Kamal Chaudhuri, Vikas Garg, Rahul Bhandhari and Nilkanth A Avhad had been appointed as officiating VCs.

In the absence of a regular VC, appointing the secretary as officiating VC had been the precedence. Now, Seema Jain is the Secretary, Technical Education.

Sources said the department was citing seniority of professors against the Dean (Faculty) as the hurdle for appointing him/her as the officiating VC.

Apart from the PTU case, the Governor had turned down the appointment of cardiologist Dr GS Wander as the VC of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences and had also asked the CM to rescind the appointment of Dr SS Gosal as the VC of Punjab Agricultural University, calling it illegal.

Mann, however, dug in his heels and asked Dr Gosal to continue.

Chief Secretary VK Janjua has convened a meeting of the Board of Governors on February 1 to change three members of the search committee that will shortlist and finalise the name of the regular VC.

According to UGC norms, the members shouldn’t be connected in any manner with the university.

Chief Secy calls meeting on Feb 1

• Chief Secretary VK Janjua has convened a meeting of the Board of Governors on February 1 to change three members of the search-cum-selection committee
• The search committee will shortlist and finalise the name of the regular Vice Chanellor of the university
• According to University Grants Commission norms, members of the selection committee should not be connected in any manner with the university or college concerned