A month on, AU yet to name members for VC search panel

Allahabad: It has been almost a month since the Union ministry of human resource development (MHRD) asked Allahabad University authorities to nominate two persons to the search committee for the new vice-chancellor but the varsity is yet to call the meeting of its executive council (EC).
The university’s EC will finalise two members to the committee who will be joined by the third member to be nominated by the President (in capacity of Visitor of AU).
As per norms, AU has to select the new vice-chancellor within 90 days from publishing of the advertisement of the post, that is, April 19. AU had published advertisement for the post of VC on January 20 and a deadline of one month was given to aspirants to file their applications.
As per the practice, MHRD instructs the university concerned to nominate two members for the search committee. Later, another member, nominated by the Visitor (President of the country), is added to the search committee. This team scrutinizes the names of applicants who apply for the post.
After scrutiny and direct interaction with applicants, whose number is decided by the search committee, the names are forwarded to the Visitor who takes the final decision. According to sources, AU will hold a meeting of the Academic Council (AC) in the first week of March and that of Executive Council after Holi. It is a common practice that AC’s meeting is held on the campus and its minutes are tabled in EC meeting for approval.
The Academic Council meeting is also important as it will decide the fate of the students of Ewing Christian College (ECC) who will be provided degrees from AU in future. After the AC meeting, the executive council will decide the names of two members to be nominated to the search committee. AU spokesman Shailendra Mishra said, “AU has to nominate two names for the search committee and the EC meeting will be convened to take a decision on the issue.”