Appoint interim V-C, fill power vacuum: BU teachers to govt

Dozens of students, teachers and other staff of Bangalore University staged a protest at Jnanabharathi in western Bengaluru on Friday demanding an appointment

Dozens of students, teachers and other staff of Bangalore University staged a protest at Jnanabharathi in western Bengaluru on Friday demanding the appointment of an interim vice-chancellor.

Coming together under the banner of the Save Bangalore University Forum, the protesters asked the state government and the governor to fill the power vacuum created by the high court order that quashed the appointment of the current vice-chancellor, Prof K R Venugopal.

On March 16, a division bench of the high court upheld the ruling given by a single judge to quash Prof Venugopal’s appointment. Prof Venugopal’s four-year term ends on June 12.

While critics say that Prof Venugopal can no longer continue in the position, neither the government nor the governor’s office has offered clarity on the matter.

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At Friday’s protest, D Parameshwar Nayak, a faculty member at the university, said there was “no one” in the university to hear the grievances of students and the staff.

“We urge the governor as well as the government to take appropriate action as per the court order,” he added.

“’No V-C’ is the standard response we have been hearing from the administrative block. Letting such a large university remain headless sets a bad precedent,” another faculty member said.

The protesting teachers also pointed out to the fast-approaching annual convocation, which is scheduled for April 8.

“Thousands of students will be waiting to receive their degrees. There is uncertainty about the convocation itself, which is really unfortunate,” a senior professor said.

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