Selection of Punjab Technical University Vice Chancellor delayed

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, November 20

The selection of the new Vice Chancellor of IK Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU) has been delayed.

In a recent meeting of the state government’s search committee headed by the Chief Secretary to shortlist the probable candidates, the nominee of the University Grants Commission (UGC) is learnt to have objected to the nomination of three members of the search committee.

Those who have been nominated are the Director, IIT (Ropar); Director, Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur; and the Secretary, Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training.

The three members are also on the Board of Governor of the IKGPTU.

Nilkanth Avhad, Secretary, Technical Education, recently assumed the additional charge of Vice Chancellor of the PTU after getting the nod from the Governor.

As per the UGC regulations, the members of the search-cum-selection committee should not be connected in any manner with the university or college concerned. “The nomination of the three members to the committee violates the UGC guidelines,” said a top functionary.

Since April 2021, the VC’s post has been lying vacant and the secretary concerned has been holding charge. The last regular VC of IKGPTU was Prof Dr AK Sharma.

According to sources, the meeting will again be held to nominate members of the search-cum-selection committee as per the UGC guidelines.

The issue of violation of the UGC guidelines had also cropped up in the past while selecting the vice chancellors of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University and Sardar Beant Singh State University.

Fate of new technical varsities undecided

• The govt has been contemplating merger of Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University, Ferozepur, and Sardar Beant Singh State University, Gurdaspur, into the Maharaja Ranjit Singh PTU and IKGPTU, respectively.
• The two new technical universities had been established during the previous Cong govt and discussions have been held on constituting a committee to ascertain whether the state needs four technical universities.