Pune University's SET Department Headless, Uncertainty Looms Over Upcoming Assistant Professor Exam

The State Eligibility Test (SET) Department of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) is currently functioning without a head, raising concerns over the conduct of the upcoming examination for Assistant Professor position aspirants.

The situation arose after Dr Avinash Kumbhar, who had recently taken charge as head of the department, resigned from the post about a month ago. Kumbhar had been appointed following the resignation of former head Balasaheb Kapadnis, who stepped down after securing another government position. With Kumbhar’s exit, the key post has once again fallen vacant.

The SET department conducts the State Eligibility Test (SET) for candidates aspiring to become Assistant Professors in colleges and universities across Maharashtra and Goa. Each year, more than one lakh candidates apply for the examination.

With no senior officer currently in charge, uncertainty has emerged over who will oversee the administrative functioning of the department and manage preparations for the examination.

The SET exam is generally conducted twice a year. Before stepping down, Kumbhar had initiated preliminary planning for the next examination. Following government approval, the department was expected to begin preparing question papers and finalise arrangements for the test.

All the examination processes have been stalled due to the absence of the department head. The situation has also highlighted administrative gaps within the university, which is already operating without a full-time registrar and a full-time dean.

Amid the current uncertainty, there are growing concerns that the upcoming SET examination could face delays unless the university appoints a new head for the department soon.

When The Free Press Journal tried contacting Vice-Chancellor Dr Suresh Gosavi for a comment, he listened to the question and hung up the call. The newspaper tried again to contact him, but didn't get any response.