The Centre has set up a search committee to identify a new Vice-Chancellor for the historic Banaras Hindu University. The three-year term of the present Vice-Chancellor D.P. Singh ends next month.
The search committee includes G.K. Chadha, Vice-Chancellor of the South Asian University of SAARC; Sudhir Sopory, Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University; and M. Barma, Director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.
All search committee members for the Banaras Hindu University are nominated by the President of India in her capacity as the Visitor to all Central Universities. However, unlike other Central Universities, where the Visitor only appoints the chairperson of the search committee and the two other members are nominated by the executive council of the university concerned, in BHU, the Visitor nominates all the members.
Globally reputed
Banaras Hindu University is an internationally reputed institution of learning, situated in the holy city of Varanasi. Founded by the nationalist leader, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, in 1916 along with Dr Annie Besant, who viewed it as the University of India, Banaras Hindu University was created under the Parliamentary legislation — B.H.U. Act 1915. It played an important role in the Independence movement and has developed into a centre of learning in India.
The University has three institutes, 14 faculties, 124 departments, four inter-disciplinary centres, a constituent college for women and three constituent schools, spanning a vast range of subjects pertaining to all branches of humanities, social science, technology, medicine, science, fine arts and performing arts. It also has six centres of advanced studies, 10 departments under Special Assistance Programme and a large number of specialised research centres.
The first Vice-Chancellor of the BHU was Sir Sunderlal (1916 to 1918) who was succeeded by P.S. Siwaswamy (1918 to 1919) and then Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya (1919 to 1938). The former President, S. Radhakrishnan, took over from Pt. Malviya. Among other prominent Vice-Chancellors are Pt. Govind Malviya, Acharya Narendra Dev and C.P. Ramaswami Aiyer.
