Jamia Millia University awaits Vice Chancellor
NEW DELHI: Next month will be one whole year since Jamia Millia Islamia University’s Vice Chancellor (VC) completed her tenure and vacated the seat. Since then, one of the country’s central universities has been functioning without a regular Vice-Chancellor.
Perhaps it is the first time in Jamia that the University’s major post has been occupied by an interim officer for such a long time. Former VC Najma Akhtar’s tenure was over on November 12, 2023.
On November 10, two days prior to her last day, the varsity’s executive council meeting was held to discuss the potential names for the next VC.
According to a source in Jamia, “In earlier cases, the education ministry has taken a maximum of six months to appoint a regular vice chancellor but in this case when an officiating VC is running the Varsity for almost a year now is something which has not happened before.”
The source further said, “The panel was also formed long back, five names were even finalised. The process was almost complete. It was over to the education ministry to finalise the things.”
As per another source, among the five candidates shortlisted, two were from Aligarh Muslim University and one each from Kashmir University, Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
From the JNU, it was Professor Mazhar Asif whose name was on the list. Professor Mazhar is a professor at the Centre of Persian and Central Asian Studies. As per his portfolio available on the JNU’s website, he is a member of the drafting committee for National Educational Policy and also a member of the National Monitoring Committee for Education. He has also been a member of a NAAC peer team.
Sources also shared that there are strong chances of two people being appointed - one is Fazul Rahman, professor at MANUU, and Professor Mazhar from JNU. Rahman is also the vice chancellor of Dr Abdul Haq Urdu University, Andhra Pradesh.
The search committee constituted to shortlist the names of Jamia University’s vice chancellor held its first meeting on January 31. Another meeting took place on February 15 when these names were shortlisted.
According to the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations, 2018, the VC of a University, in general, is appointed by the Visitor/Chancellor from a panel of three to five names recommended by the duly constituted search cum selection committee. A visitor is empowered to call for a set of fresh names in case of dissatisfaction with the given panel.