Caste and administrative capabilities will be the prime criterion for the selection of vice-chancellors for the nine universities where the vice-chancellors term will be completed by the end of this month or have already completed a few months ago.
The State government wants to maintain the social balance giving priority to all the castes like it did three years while appointing the VCs for the first time after the formation of Telangana.
However, officials say, the Chief Minister is firm on selecting a strong academic and administrator, irrespective of the caste factor, for the Osmania University, the oldest and the prestigious in the State. “Caste factors will come into play for other smaller varsities but the Chief Minister is apparently keen on a good administrator who can take OU to newer heights with vibrant initiatives,” an official said.
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The process of appointments started with the government issuing the notification for nine universities where the present incumbents will complete their three-year term by the end of this month. In some varsities, the positions are already lying vacant.
The aspirants need to send their applications to the Higher Education Secretary before July 23. The government would then constitute search committee separately for each university with nominees from the University Grants Commission (UGC), Executive Council of the concerned university, and the State government. The search committee would scrutinise the applications and pick up three candidates for each varsity and it would be submitted to the government. The Governor will have the final say officially though the practice is that the State government would suggest the name. The nine varsities include: Osmania University, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Hyderabad, Kakatiya University, Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Shatavahana University, Telangana University and Palamuru University.
However, the government has recently extended the term of Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor V. Praveen Rao for three years recently. Since the term was extended, there is no need for a fresh search committee.
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