Former Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairman D.P. Agarwal was on Tuesday nominated to the new Delhi University Vice-Chancellor selection panel. His name was finalised following a controversy over selection of former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief K. Kasturirangan to the panel.
A three-member search panel will recommend names for the post of the next DU V-C. The final call on the selection will be taken by President Pranab Mukherjee, the Visitor to the Central Universities. The term of current DU V-C Dinesh Singh ends on October 28.
An emergency meeting of the Executive Council was called on Tuesday to decide the name of a member in place of Dr. Kasturirangan following a directive from the President’s Office.
Other members in the search committee include former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai, who was appointed by the Executive Council, and University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairperson Ved Prakash, who was appointed by the President.
“The former UPSC Chairman’s name was nominated in the Executive Council’s meeting held on Tuesday replacing Dr. Kasturirangan on the search panel for next the DU V-C,” an Executive Council member said.
The Union Human Resource Development Ministry had last week objected to Dr. Kasturirangan’s nomination on the grounds that his being an Honorary Professor could lead to conflict to interest.
While the Ministry had recommended that the President send the current V-C on forced leave, the Visitor had asked the varsity to convene a meeting and nominate a replacement for the former ISRO Chief.
The proposal for Mr. Agarwal’s nomination to the panel was passed in the Executive Council with dissent from three members out of 18. Members opposing the proposal alleged that the outgoing V-C imposed the decision on the Executive Council.
“The name was already decided. The Executive Council has been reduced to a rubber stamp yet again. There should be atleast a list of names for the council to deliberate upon,” said council member Abha Dev Habib, who was against the proposal.
On Monday, some Executive Council members criticised non-inclusion of the replacement issue in the list of business though the University had insisted that the issue would be taken up in the meeting on Tuesday.
The name was already decided. The Executive Council has been reduced to a rubber stamp yet again. There should be at least a list of names for the council to deliberate upon
