Members upset as BU meeting put off

A meeting of Bangalore University’s (BU) Academic Council, that was carried over from Wednesday, was postponed at the last minute here on Thursday as the Vice-Chancellor, N Prabhu Dev, had to fly to Delhi for “an emergency”.

Members, however, cried foul at the sudden postponement and complained of not having been informed in advance. The meeting was to start at 11 am at the Jnanajyothi Auditorium in Central College.

According to BU Registrar (Evaluation), Somashekar R K, the V-C spoke to him over phone around 11.10 pm and told him that he was reaching airport to fly to Delhi where he was to attend a meeting of the University Grants Commission (UGC) later in the afternoon.

That meeting, originally scheduled to start at 5 pm, had been advanced by two hours and hence he had to fly urgently, Prabhu Dev told Somashekar.

Meanwhile, the members, some of whom had arrived from outside Bangalore, learnt about the postponement but insisted on an official announcement. Somashekar then went to the venue and answered their query. The next date would be notified later, he told them.

D S Krishna, BU’s Syndicate member who had arrived to present a report of the Local Inspection Committees (LICs), disputed the V-C’s claim. According to Registrar (Administrator) B C Mylarappa, the UGC meeting is actually scheduled for Friday.

The V-C wanted to “avoid” a discussion on the appointment of the Director of Social Welfare. His appointee Rajendra Babu’s appointment was struck down by the High Court and hence he wanted to avoid the discussion, Mylarappa, Prabhu Dev’s bitter critic, claimed.