BENGALURU: Despite Prof KR Venugopal retiring as Bangalore University’s Vice-Chancellor on June 12, a court case on his appointment still rages on, due to which, the varsity now is likely only get a permanent V-C a month from now.
On Friday, Karnataka Governor Thawaar Chand Gehlot’s office issued a notification, appointing Dr Cynthia Menezes, Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Management, to take charge as acting V-C. According to the notification, the selection process for a suitable candidate for the position has not been completed.
However, the selection process may have hit a snag due to a plea by Prof Sangamesh Patil, Chief Minister’s nominee for the VC’s post, earlier this month. Patil had taken issue with the university’s call for applications for post ahead of Venugopal’s retirement, as the court case was still ongoing. Following this, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the matter on an urgent basis on June 2.
As a result, since an order is yet to be given by the Supreme Court, the Karnataka High Court instructed the state government not to move forward with the selection process of the V-C, past the appointment of the acting V-C. However, with the SC on vacation until July 10, the post may not be filled properly for at least a month.