HYDERABAD: The competition for the recently announced posts of vice chancellors (VCs) in state universities is set to touch new heights with more than 400 candidates applying for nine posts. With this, more than 40 candidates are in the race for each post. The number is expected to go up in the coming three days, after which the state government stops accepting applications.
While this is the first time to see such tight competition for VC posts, the credit goes to recently revised eligibility guidelines for the top posts in universities. After reducing minimum work experience for VC aspirants from the earlier 10 years to five years, doors are open for more faculty members who are already working in the universities.
Ever since the release of notification on December 20, the state government has so far received more than 400 applications from the faculty members who are currently serving in various universities in the state. Despite the posts being open to eligible faculty members from all the state universities, more number of applications have come only from the few big ones like Osmania University (OU), Kakatiya University (KU) and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad.
According to a senior official from the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE), OU alone has close to 200 eligible candidates for VC posts. Two other big universities, KU and JNTU have 40 and 70 eligible candidates respectively. Some of them have already submitted their applications and more are expected to apply.
Other state universities like Potti Sriramulu Telugu University and Dr B R Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU) have fewer faculty members who meet the eligibility criteria. Candidates from new universities like Satavahana University (SU), Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) and Telangana University (TU) is almost negligible. TU and MGU would have VCs from other universities as they have no eligible candidates at the moment. Currently all the state universities in Telangana are governed by in-charge vice-chancellors.