Central University of Karnataka, 11 other varsities get new vice chancellors

The announcement came a day after Dharmendra Pradhan told the Rajya Sabha that 22 posts of vice chancellors of central universities were vacant

President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Battu Satyanarayana as the Vice Chancellor of the Central University of Karnataka, more than a year after the post fell vacant following the superannuation of H M Maheshwariah.

Kovind also named vice chancellors to 11 other central universities, while the top academic and administrative posts remain vacant in 10 other central universities, including Delhi University.

Satyanarayana, a retired Chemistry Professor from Osmania University, Hyderabad, has published 31 research papers in international peer-reviewed journals.

A profile on the Osmania University website stated that Satyanarayana had also served as the President of the Osmania University Teachers Association and Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Federation of University Teachers' Associations.

The announcement came a day after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told the Rajya Sabha that 22 posts of vice chancellors of central universities were vacant.

Jawaharlal Nehru University vice chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar too has completed his tenure in office and is on extension till fresh appointment is made.

The newly appointed vice chancellors include Tankeshwar Kumar (Central University of Haryana), Prakash Bansal (Central university of Himachal Pradesh), Sanjeev Jain (Central university of Jammu), Kshitij Bhusan Das (Central university of Jharkhand), Muthukalingan Krishnan (Central University of Tamil Nadu) and Basuthkar J Rao (Central University of Hyderabad).

Kameshwar Nath Singh (Central University of South Bihar); Prabha Shankar Shukla, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong; Alok Kumar Chakrawal (Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur); Syed Ainul Hasan, Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) and Lokender Singh, Manipur University.

Responding to questions on delay in appointment of vice chancellors, the Education Minister had told the Rajya Sabha that no time frame could be mentioned for filling up the vacancies as the process of making such appointments was a time-consuming exercise.

It involved getting Executive Council/ Court’s nominations of the concerned Central University, constitution of Search-cum-Selection Committee, advertisement of posts, scrutiny of applications, interaction with the shortlisted candidates, getting vigilance clearances, approval of the competent authority.