300 aspirants vie for Bangalore and Mysore University Vice-Chancellor posts
Bengaluru: The race for the posts of Vice Chancellors of Bangalore University and Mysore University is hotting up with as many as 300 aspirants vying for them, making the two search committees’ jobs tougher than usual.
While Mysore University VC, Prof. K S Rangappa retired in the second week of January, Bangalore University VC, Prof. B Thimmegowda is retiring on Feb. 7. “Usually we get 30 to 40 applications from academicians for a VC's post. But this year we have received as many as 300 applications, 150 each for both universities. Segregating these applications will be a big task,” said an officer of the state higher education department.
While candidates are playing their caste card and using political clout and money power to realise their dreams, tainted academicians are reportedly front- runners for the posts allegedly owing to the political patronage they enjoy.
The search committee led by former VC of the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belagavi Prof. HP Khincha , will shortlist the names of likely candidates for the new Mysore University VC and a search committee with former VC of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, S. Ramananda Shetty, Gulbarga University Vice Chancellor, S.R. Niranjana, Central University of Haryana Vice Chancellor, Prof. R.C. Kuhad and academician Indumati on board as members will do the same for Bangalore University.
Pointing out that a few members of the search committees themselves were facing allegations of irregularities, the education department officer said they were nominated despite this by the government to the panels. “And now a few aspirants are using them to get shortlisted. At the end of the day it is caste and political calculations that matter,” he claimed.
