Pondicherry University will have a new Vice-Chancellor now, with the President — the Visitor to the university — approving the name of Gurmeet Singh, who teaches Chemistry at Delhi University, for the vacant post.
This comes close on the heels of the appointment of KRS Sambasiva Rao, who was Rector at Acharya Nagarjuna University at Guntur, where he taught Chemistry, as Vice-Chancellor of Mizoram University.
An official source said these appointments were part of the Centre’s push to fill vacancies in some Central universities that did not have Vice-Chancellors.
In last November, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar had told the Rajya Sabha of V-C vacancies in Vishwa Bharti University, Pondicherry University and Mizoram University, from among 41 Central universities.
The process for appointment of the Vishwa Bharti V-C, sources say, is also in its last phase, with the recommendation having been sent to the Visitor.
Meanwhile, a search-cum-selection-committee has been set up to look at applications for the post of Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University.
The previous V-C, Girish Chandra Tripathi, went on leave towards the end of his term just after a major controversy over an alleged police baton charge on girl students protesting against sexual harassment on campus.
Sources say close to 300 applications for the post of BHU V-C have been received.
