Academics hit as state govt fails to appoint VC at HP agri varsity
The post of Vice-Chancellor at Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University in Palampur has been lying vacant for the past 13 months, adversely affecting the activities related to research teaching and education. Since the retirement of HK Chaudhary in August last year, the state government has failed to appoint a regular VC in the university. It has been for the first time since the inception of the university 45 years ago that the post is vacant for such a long period.
Earlier, Chancellor (Governor) Shiv Partap Shukla had appointed DK Vats as the acting VC, but he also retired in July this year. Later, the Chancellor appointed Naveen Kumar as the second acting VC, who is still at office.
Now, the matter pertaining to the appointment is pending in the Himachal Pradesh High Court as a professor at the university has challenged the formation of a selection committee constituted by the Chancellor, saying that it was faulty. The selection process of the VC had already been stayed by the high court.
Information gathered revealed that the committee constituted by the Chancellor is not in accordance with the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Act, 1986.
The committee formed by the Chancellor comprises three members. Prof Kailash Chander Sharma, former Kurukshetra University VC and a UGC nominee, is the chairman of the committee. The second member of committee is RC Agrawal, Deputy Director General (DDG) (Education), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, and the third member is Rajesh Sharma, a nominee to the Governor. However, there is no representative of the state government that is mandatory as per the amended law.
Secondly, in place of Director General of ICAR, the Chancellor had replaced it with the DDG as a member in gross violation of the rules. As per law, there is no provision in statute to make the DDG a member. The Director General, by virtue of higher rank and pay scale more than that of the VC, has always been the chairman of the selection committee in the past. Interestingly, the UGC nominee, who is of the Vice Chancellor’s rank, has been made the chairman of the committee, which is also wrong.
“Section 24 (1) of the Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Act, 1986, states that the VC shall be a whole-time officer of the university and he shall be appointed by the Chancellor on the recommendations of the selection committee consisting of following three members — a nominee of the Chancellor, Director General, ICAR, and Chairman, UGC, or his nominee.” The Chancellor shall nominate one of the members referred to in sub-section (1) as the chairman of the selection committee. However, while constituting the selection committee, these norms were followed by the Chancellor.
