BU still without full-time VC as Guv-govt tiff continues

 The term of the third in-charge Vice Chancellor of Bangalore University (BU) is coming to an end in a few days, with no word on the appointment of a full-time VC.

After the term of the previous VC, Prof B Thimmegowda came to an end in February, the university with 700 affiliated colleges and 3.5 lakh students was being run by in-charge VCs.

"The term of the present in-charge VC H N Ramesh comes to an end on December 13. Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi HAS said that this time, too, an in-charge VC would be appointed. The university will have to continue for a few more months without a VC," a professor at BU said.

After Thimmegowda retired on February 6, Dr Jagadeesh Prakash from the Mass Communication department was the interim VC for a month. After him, Dean of the Commerce department, Dr M Muniraju took over the interim post for four months. At present, Prof H N Ramesh of the Civil Engineering department of the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) is the in-charge vice chancellor.  

"There is not much difference between being an interim VC and a regular VC except that the term is shorter. As an in-charge VC, I had many responsibilities and I have discharged them to the best of my ability," Prof H N Ramesh said.

The appointment of a regular VC has hit a roadblock because of a tussle between the Governor and the Higher Education department.

The name suggested by the state government, Prof Sangamesh A Patil, was rejected by Governor Vajubhai Vala, who suggested the name of Prof K R Venugopal of UVCE instead.

When the government submitted the same names to the governor's office for the  second time, a letter was sent to the Higher Education department, asking them to send new names.

It said that if a list has been rejected once, it is in the rules that a new search committee should be set up and a new list of names should be suggested.

DH News Service