Haryana: Search committee formed to find VC for Kurukshetra University

KURUKSHETRA: The Haryana government has formed a search committee on June 19 to find the regular vice-chancellor (VC) for the Kurukshetra University (KU) after the visit of an officer on special duty (OSD) Sumit Kumar to Haryana chief minister to the varsity last week, told the official sources.
Sources told some of the prominent faces with Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) connection and VCs of other Haryana universities have already started the lobbying for the top post of KU.
The officials in KU are raising a demand that a deserving and meritorious candidate should be appointed as VC as the varsity's NIRF ranking has gone down consistently and also the working VC does not fulfill the eligibility criteria of being a professor for 10 years.
A KU official requesting anonymity told, “Last week, an OSD Sumit Kumar to Haryana CM who sits in Delhi had visited KU and instructed the executive council (EC) body to hold a meeting for deciding on the members of search committee to find a new VC for the varsity. Following the directions of OSD, a virtual meeting of EC under the chairmanship of working VC Dr Nita Khanna was held on June 19 at 11 am and the members gave their suggestions.”
“For searching the regular VC for KU, the EC members selected Guru Jambeshwar University of Science and Technology (GJUST), Hisar VC Prof Tankeshwar Kumar and Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology (DCRUST), Murthal VC Prof Rajenderkumar Anayath. While the third member of the search committee will be nominated by the KU chancellor-cum-Governor of Haryana Satyadeo Narain Arya”, added the official.
It is being speculated that KU would be getting a regular VC by July mid.
TOI contacted Haryana director of department of higher education (DHE) Ajit Balaji Joshi who confirmed the development of constituting a search committee for KU, “A meeting of executive council took place and a search committee has been formed. I am not aware about the nomination to be done from the governor side.”
OSD to Haryana governor Bakhvinder Singh told, “As of now, the governor office has not received the file regarding nominating the member, as it will be moved from the DHE and reach governor office through Haryana CM.”
When contacted, the concerned OSD to Haryana CM Sumit Kumar refused to speak on this issue.