Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Feb 22: The ongoing marathon exercise for selection of full-fledged Vice-Chancellor of Jammu University is likely to be completed in next few days as the short-listed candidates for the top position have been invited for interaction with the Search Committee on February 26.
Four locals of Jammu University among 11 candidates have been finally short-listed for the interaction and making a Power Point presentation before the Search Committee members at Jammu Kashmir House in New Delhi on this Thursday, official sources informed the Excelsior.
Prof R D Sharma, the incumbent Vice-Chancellor; Prof Naresh Padha of Physics Department, Prof Kuldeep Sharma of Zoology Department and Prof Desh Bandhu Gupta, Director Colleges Development Council, are among the locals of Jammu University, who have been short-listed for the interaction, sources added.
Interestingly, the former Vice-Chancellor of JU, Prof Mohan Paul Singh Ishar, who has once again applied for the position, is learnt to have not been short-listed by the Search Committee for the scheduled interaction, sources disclosed.
It may be recalled that Prof Ishar had suddenly resigned as then Vice-Chancellor of Jammu University, around three months prior to completion of his tenure, last year. Following this, Prof R D Sharma was given the charge of JU Vice-Chancellor on October 31 to carry out the duties of VC till new appointment for the top post was made.
Consequent upon the development, a three-member Search Committee was constituted by the Governor N N Vohra, who is also Chancellor of JU. The committee is headed by Arun Nagvekar, Ex-Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and comprises of Prof B B Bhattacharya, former Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and senior IAS officer, R P Aggarwal, who has retired as Secretary in the Human Resource Development Ministry. Maiden meeting of the Search Committee was held on November 20 at New Delhi and after discussing modalities, applications were invited from eligible aspirants for the top post.
According to the sources, approximately one hundred aspirants, including more than two dozen locals, had applied for the post of JU Vice-Chancellor. The Search Committee met again on February 6 and short-listed the eligible candidates on the basis of their academic qualifications and administrative experiences.
After interaction with the 11 short-listed candidates, the Search Committee will formulate a panel of three-four contenders and submit the names to Governor for final selection of the individual as new Vice-Chancellor of Jammu University, sources explained.
The entire process is likely to be completed in next few days and the new Vice-Chancellor may assume charge by first week of March, sources hint.
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