2 locals in race for Jammu; no local shortlisted for Kashmir
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Sept 11: Appointment of new Vice-Chancellors of Cluster Universities of Jammu and Srinagar is likely to be made soon as final panels of the candidates were submitted today to the Lt Governor J&K Union Territory for his approval after interviews of the shortlisted candidates were conducted yesterday and today.
In the interviews held for the post of Vice-Chancellor of Cluster University Jammu, two locals among ten shortlisted candidates appeared before the Search Committee while for the Cluster University of Srinagar, only six candidates appeared even as names of 10 applicants were shortlisted for the top position, official sources told the Excelsior.
Interestingly, all the six candidates, who appeared for interview before the Search Committee for selection of the Vice Chancellor for Cluster University Srinagar, had also been shortlisted for the Vice-Chancellor of Cluster University Jammu and were seen appearing in the interview for the same today, sources added.
The interviews for Vice-Chancellor Cluster University Jammu were held today while for the Cluster University Srinagar, the interviews were held yesterday at the same venue of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra.
All the candidates appeared before the same Search Committee, which was constituted in June for recommending the panel for appointment of the Vice Chancellors of both the Cluster Universities
Headed by Director Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Jammu Prof Vidya Shankar Sahay as the Chairman, the Search Committee comprised of Vice-Chancellor Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora, Mushtaq A Sidique and Vice-Chancellor, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Prof Ravinder Kumar Sinha as the members.
The Search Committee had invited applications from eligible candidates for the top posts and according to the sources, more than 100 applications were received from different parts of the country for the each university.
After scrutiny of the candidates’ resume, the Search Committee shortlist 14 applicants for Cluster University Jammu and 10 for the Cluster University Kashmir according to their experience as well as other qualification for the interviews, which were held at SMVDU Guest House on September 11 and September 10, respectively, informed the sources.
However, sources added, only six out of 10 candidates appeared for the interview for the Cluster University Kashmir and none of them was local whereas 10 out of the 14 shortlisted candidates for Cluster University Jammu appeared for the interview and two of them were locals.
One of the local candidates is a Professor of Sciences in Jammu University while the other is a Director in Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology (SKUAST) Jammu, informed the sources.
On the basis of interview and other criteria, sources said that final panels of three-four candidates were submitted to the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha for selection of the Vice-Chancellors of both the Cluster Universities and formal announcement in this regard is likely to be made within two-three days.
It may be recalled that the process for selection of new Vice-Chancellors of both the Cluster Universities was initiated more than three months back with the constitution of a Search Committee headed by Principal Secretary School Education, Dr Asgar Samoon while Vice-Chancellor of Jammu University and Kashmir University were appointed as its members. However, the said committee was in violation of the laid down norms as both the Vice-Chancellors being the special invitees to Council of the Cluster Universities of Jammu and Srinagar, could not be part of the Search Panel. Following representations in this regard, the Search Committee was reconstituted in mid of June.
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