RAIPUR: It has been almost a year since a state-run journalism and mass communication university in Chattisgarh has been functioning without a full-time Vice-Chancellor.
Kushabhau Thakre University of journalism and mass communication (KTUJM) stares at uncertainty over lack of academic scholarships due to delay over the appointment of its Vice-Chancellor.
Along with university teachers, the ‘repeated postpone’ of the appointment has also affected the student community perplexed over whether the process to select the V-C is simply delayed or derailed.
After the present government took charge in Chhattisgarh in November 2018, former V-C Mansingh Parmar tendered his resignation in March 2019.
Acamedicians claim that this is the first time since Chattisgarh came into existence that any state-run university is funtioning without a V-C for this long.
Meanwhile, the state government has assigned the Raipur commissioner R Churendra to assume the responsibility of V-C as additional charge for the time being.
Although his term lapsed in September 2019, the Commissioner continued for another four months. In fact, an official circular regarding the extension of his term was only issued last week.
“The official circular doesn’t specify how long the Raipur commissioner continue to work in his additional capacity and this is creating an environment of distress both among the faculty members and the students," cited the university staff on condition of anonymity.
“Not just academics but even the administrative functioning of the university are being badly affected,” a senior professor of the University told the Express.
According to government officials, applications were already extended last year for an appointment of the V-C.
However, Express has learnt that no final decision has so far been taken, owing to some alleged differences between the Rajbhawan and the state government over the choice of candidate.
A senior professor of the University on the other hand, however, has filed a petition in the high court challenging the decision of the state government on entrusting additional charge of V-C to the Commissioner. The high court has asked the government to respond.