4 from city in race for BATU VC’s post

Nagpur: Nagpur University pro-vice chancellor Pramod Yeole is among the 27 candidates shortlisted for February 19 and 20 interviews for the post of vice-chancellor of Lonere-based Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University (BATU).
Former NU VC Vilas Sapkal and VNIT's MK Khedkar are others from the city in the running for the top post at BATU to which several engineering colleges from the city have started migrating. LIT director Raju Mankar of city has already served as BATU VC. Pravin Kondekar, who taught at Ramdeobaba College of Engineering, too is among the 27 called for interviews by the search panel led by eminent nuclear physicist Anil Kakodkar at IIT Bombay.

Yeole had come very close to being selected as Mumbai University VC as he made it to the shortlist of final five candidates of the search panel led by renowned scientist K Kasturirangan last year. Though Sapkal too was among the last five, Yeole and Suhas Pednekar competed neck and neck with the latter finally being named Mumbai VC.

Since the Mumbai setback, Yeole has been sidelined in the subsequent VC post interviews for Solapur and Nanded universities though each time, as per NU officials, he was strongly supported by city’s political heavyweights. This time too, both Yeole and Sapkal are again confident of making the cut, sources say. While Yeole has political backing, an RSS educational affiliate is supporting Sapkal’s candidature.

NU officials said the ghost of Nagpur joint director’s adverse report on Yeole’s appointment continues to haunt him. Sapkal was directed to resign from NU VC posts two years before end of his term while VNIT’s Khedkar too was sent on long leave by the governor while he was Amravati University VC, they said. The presence of principal secretary (CMO) Bhushan Gagrani in Kakodkar panel is being seen as jolt to both Yeole and Sapkal as the former was part of Kasturirangan panel too. Kasturirangan had advised ‘due diligence’ to the governor while recommending Yeole’s name.