Panel headed by K Kasturirangan to select new vice-chancellor of Mumbai University

K Kasturirangan

FORMER Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Kasturirangan will head the search committee to scout for the next vice-chancellor of the University of Mumbai. Governor and Chancellor Ch Vidyasagar Rao has announced the appointment of Kasturirangan, who has also served as the Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, as the chairperson of the search committee. The scientist is currently chairman of a committee formed to prepare the final draft of the National Education Policy.

The appointment comes a day after the governor sacked Sanjay Deshmukh from the post of V-C over negligence, and failure to declare examination results.

Academicians have expressed concern over the immediate future of the university after the sacking. Former pro V-C A D Sawant said the governor’s decision had little to do with the improvement of

the university’s condition. “Mistakes were made but they could not be checked in time as the statutory bodies of the university remained dissolved for over a year while the government made a decision on the new universities Act. Now under the new Act, these statutory bodies will constitute more nominated candidates rather than elected ones,” said Sawant.

He added: “Many students still haven’t got their results. Moreover, exams will be held after a very short period of teaching. Senate elections are yet to be held. And an acting V-C may not be willing to take risky decisions. How will the university function then?”

The Bombay University and College Teachers’ Union (BUCTU) said the governor’s decision was a step “too little, too late and inevitable”.

A BUCTU office-bearer said that they had brought the “undemocratic decisions” of the university authorities to the notice of the chancellor, but little attention was paid.

“The current mess is a consequence of the rot that had set in a year back and will adversely impact the academic governance of the university for a long time,” said the office-bearer.

While some students have appreciated the decision, they have demanded that action be taken against “all appointments made by the sacked V-C”.

In a correspondence to the governor, the Students’ Law Council has sought action against all the appointments made by Deshmukh during his tenure as V-C.