JOIN USGovernor H R Bhardwaj on Sunday expressed his helplessness in the process of appointing vice-chancellors to state universities saying the system was full of flaws leaving it open for mismanagement.
“The search committee selects and shortlists the candidates for the post of vice-chancellor while the government makes its own recommendations. I have to take the decision to ultimately appoint one of the names for the post. I, however, do not know who is distinguished or not,” Bhardwaj said, while addressing the gathering at an event organised by the Mythic Society.
The suggestion comes in the wake of former Bangalore University vice-chancellor Thimmappa accusing the governor of encouraging corruption and being the “worst among all chancellors Karnataka has seen”.
About three weeks ago, Uday Kumar, a government-nominated syndicate member from Davangere University, had alleged that posts of vice-chancellor in the state were up for sale to the highest bidder for the past three years and that some agents in Raj Bhavan were involved in it.
The governor suggested that vice-chancellors of universities should be appointed by a body of distinguished and highly qualified professors and academics rather than by politicians. “There should be a pool of professors to select vice-chancellors,” he said.
He added: “Academics and professors know who best to be selected for the job and what is the best option for universities and educational institutions.”
The knowledge and the wisdom of professors and academics of a university may help solve many of the problems related to the appointment with such a system, he claimed.
The governor also suggested a similar change in the appointment of judges. “I do not say that judges should be appointed by politicians. In fact they should be appointed by a similar body of distinguished body of judges and the chief justices of the Supreme court and the high courts,” he said.
Former chief justice of India M N Venkatachalaiah echoed similar views. The standards of selecting vice-chancellors are appalling and that there is a need for reform in the educational system, he said.