BU gets fourth interim V-C as govt-Governor tussle goes on

Bangalore University has got its fourth in-charge vice-chancellor since Prof B Thimme Gowda retired in February this year.

Prof Sudesh V, the dean of the University Law College, was appointed in-charge V-C on  Wednesday. He replaces Prof H N Ramesh, of the civil engineering department of the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE).

Ever since Prof  Gowda demitted office on February 6, the university, which has 700 affiliated colleges and 3.5 lakh students, is being run by in-charge VCs.

The first in-charge V-C was Jagadeesh Prakash, from the mass communication department, who took the reins for a month. M Muniraju, the dean of commerce  department, came after him  and was  the interim V-C for four months.  

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

The university has not had a regular V-C as there is a tussle between the Higher Education Department and the Governor's office over the appointment.

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 the 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 be set up and new names suggested.