JOIN USThe appointment of vice-chancellors (VCs) to state-run universities in Karnataka has for long been mired in controversy with undeserving candidates often adorning this post due to a flawed selection process. However, this is set to change with Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwathnarayan, who holds the higher education portfolio, proposing a slew of changes to Section 14 of the Karnataka State Universities Act (KSUA) which governs the appointment of VCs. At present, a search committee shortlists a panel of three eminent academicians from which the governor who is also the chancellor of universities, appoints one as the VC with the concurrence of the state government. The committee comprises four members in all, nominated by the governor, University Grants Commission, state government and the syndicate. The problem is two-pronged: while the quality of some of the selection committee members is itself poor, unrelated issues like caste, cash and political influence usually determine who should be the VC.
Governor Vajubhai Vala has been accused by the Forum of Former Vice-Chancellors of Karnataka State Universities of “diluting” the search committee on at least two occasions. In the first instance, Vala had appointed a dean, who was not even a professor, from an agriculture university in Gujarat, as his nominee to the search committee for the appointment of the VC of Karnataka State Law University. In another case, a former linguistics professor was appointed to the selection panel of Kuvempu University, ignoring other more accomplished experts. This often has a telling effect on the quality of VCs selected. In 2017, all the three candidates empanelled by the selection committee headed by H P Kincha, for appointment as the VC of Mysore University were rejected by the governor as none of them was found suitable for the post. The university had to go without a regular VC for 22 months, as a new selection committee had to be constituted.
Ashwathnarayan’s proposal involves doing away with the system of constituting a selection committee each time a vacancy arises and replacing it with a common appointment platform consisting of academic experts. In order to ensure transparency, the government proposes to create a pool of eligible aspirants to the VC’s post and put the list in public domain so that all stakeholders and the general public can voice their opinion. Heads of educational institutions should be persons of academic eminence and it should be ensured that extraneous factors have no role to play in their selection. Hence, the proposal to amend the KSUA Act is welcome as it will hopefully stem the rot in the appointment of VCs and restore the dignity of universities.