The Chancellor’s Secretariat in Bihar has received 8,000 applications for 10 Vice Chancellor positions. This is a record number of applications for only 10 posts. The Chancellor’s Secretariat has begun screening candidates from 28 states, representing a wide range of professional backgrounds, including individuals from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the Indian Institutes of Management (a group of premier, publicly funded business schools in India), the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), and prominent research institutions.
According to sources, the screening process for at least two of the universities has been completed, and eligible candidates have been shortlisted for interviews, which are expected to be held soon. What makes this process particularly notable is not just the sheer volume of applications, but the diversity of the candidates.
10 Vice Chancellor Positions
This pool of applicants for 10 Vice Chancellor positions includes faculty members and professionals from IITs (a premier network of 23 autonomous public technical and research universities in India), IIMs, and NITs; scientists from space and agricultural research institutions; experts in law and public administration; professionals from the industrial sector; and individuals with experience in military administration.
It is reported that several nationally recognised scholars, including recipients of Padma awards, are among those in the running. With applications received from 28 states, Bihar has secured what may be its most extensive talent pool ever for university leadership positions.
The first phase of the selection process covers four universities in Bihar that have been operating without a regular Vice Chancellor for several months, such as Magadh University, Veer Kunwar Singh University, Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University, and Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University.
Subsequently, search committees will begin work for the remaining six universities. The Governor-cum-Chancellor, Syed Ata Hasnain, has constituted search committees for these universities. The selection process will primarily focus on academic qualifications, administrative experience, and leadership capabilities.
The Chancellor’s Secretariat aims to complete the process as expeditiously as possible. While the search for new Vice-Chancellors has intensified, the Chancellor has simultaneously curtailed the powers of six incumbent Vice-Chancellors whose tenures are nearing their end.
The Vice Chancellors of LNMU Darbhanga, JP University Chapra, B.N. Mandal University Madhepura, Aryabhatta Knowledge University Patna, K.S.D. Sanskrit University Darbhanga, and B.R.A. Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, are now barred from making policy decisions, carrying out appointments or transfers, launching new schemes, or initiating any new projects that entail financial liabilities.
Sources at the Chancellor’s office (Lok Bhavan) indicated that prior approval from the Chancellor will now be required for any unavoidable policy or financial decision.
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