Indore : Not only former vice chancellors of the Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) and senior academicians but the intelligentsia of the city is also concerned over the ongoing controversies on VC search panel and delay in appointment of vice chancellor at the university.
Many eminent persons of the city expressed their discontent over the ongoing controversies and attributed it to the vested interests of Executive Council members, who had to elect its representative in the search panel for four times in last few months.
Some of the persons, whom Free Press spoke to over the issue, said that the State Government should intervene into the matter and clamp Section 52 (emergency) at the DAVV and appoint V-C of its choice given the fact that Chancellor Ram Naresh Yadav failed to do so in the prescribed time limit of six months, a few said that the government should not interfere in the autonomous institution.
A permanent VC could not be appointed in the DAVV since Prof DP Singh quit the post to take up new assignment at National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). More than six months have passed but the DAVV is still waiting for a permanent VC.
Controversies occurred due to vested interests of EC members: Dr Baheti
Industrialist and eminent person of the city, Dr Ramesh Baheti is very upset with on-going controversies over appointment of VC at the DAVV. “My association with DAVV is very old and long. I was member of the EC for nine years, was a member for V-C search panel, was honorary faculty at DAVV, and I obtained my doctorate degree from the DAVV, so if anything goes wrong with this university it makes me sad.”
He said that earlier people like ex-minister Manohar Mehta, Padma Shri Babulal Patodi used to be members of the EC for whom the interest of the university was supreme and primary. Today, the quality of EC membership is no match to that of previous times. Today’s EC members have vested interests due to which all these controversies are taking place. When the DAVV was awarded top ranking three years ago, the students were taking pride in it. Today that pride has gone.”
Dr Baheti said that the VC should be appointed without any further hassle and delay and government should not intervene into the matter else another Pandora’s box would open.
Highest level intervention is required in DAVV case: Mehta
Indore Management Association chairman Shiv Singh Mehta said that controversies over appointment of vice chancellor at DAVV are totally uncalled for. “To put these controversies to rest, highest level of intervention is required. But unfortunately, not much importance is given to this issue even when we know that the university does a work of knowledge value creation. Keeping this dimension of knowledge value creation in mind, the government and the powers that be should take quick decision into the matter of appointment of VC in DAVV like they do in cases pertaining to taxation policy, hike in Excise Duty, petroleum prices etc,” he said. Mehta also stated that VC post is a prestigious post and controversies over such reputed post should not take place.
Controversies at DAVV due to political interference: Mathur
Senior advocate Anand Mohan Mathur said that all the controversies over VC search panel and appointment of VC at DAVV is taking place due to political interference. “The university should be insulated from political interference. Unfortunate that is not the case today. In 80s, the VC search panel would comprise of a representative each from the Chancellor, the State Government and the Chief Justice of MP High Court. The representative of CJ used to be the chairman of the panel and recommendations made by such a penal used to be judicial in nature. With the amendment in the Act, now the EC is allowed to nominate its member in the search panel. Because of this mode of selection process, political inference has found place in appointment process of VC which is not good for the university system. The government should go back to the previous method of selection process. Over Section 52, the former advocate general said that the government should not directly intervene into the appointment of VC.
There is administrative anarchy at DAVV: Trivedi
Senior advocate Anil Trivedi said that there is administrative anarchy at the DAVV for the past 10 years and nobody at the university be it the students, professors, or Executive Council members want to change this. “Controversies over appointment of VC at DAVV are not new. For past one decade, such controversies are persistent. A musical chair has been played at vice chancellor’s office for the past 10 years. Everybody would work to topple the VC. Given the fact that private universities are also coming up in the city, this state of affair is not good for the DAVV.”
Trivedi said that the university’s approach should be global but nothing of that sort is seen at the university here. “The city residents should wake up to the problems of the university as careers of their wards are associated with it. They should make sure that its glory revived.” On Section 52, Trivedi said that government should not interfere in the autonomous institutions.
Sec 52 should be clamped to rest controversies: Gupta
Abhyas Mandal chairman Rameshwar Gupta said that the State Government and the Chancellor should rest all the controversies related to the VC search panel by clamping Section 52 at the DAVV. “Whatever is going on at present is certainly not good in taste. The High Court had quashed VC search panel once and it is hearing a petition seeking cancelation of extension given to acting vice chancellor. To avoid another embarrassment, it would be appropriate for the Chancellor and the government to come together and appoint a new VC by clamping Section 52. Once all the controversies are rested, the Chancellor should initiate process for constituting VC search panel again.”
Gupta believes that EC representative to VC search panel is inviting controversies as local candidates are trying to get their favorite candidate in the panel.
DAVV seems to have lost, not acting smartly: Janak Palta
Padma Shri Janak Palta McGilligan said that Grade A accredited university has degraded in last some months because of controversies over VC search panel. These are the self-created controversies, she said adding that the custodians of the DAVV were supposed to sustain the glory of this university but unfortunately they did not do so. “They seem to have lost.” She went on to add: “we are talking about Smart City today, but the knowledge centre of the city, DAVV, is not acting smartly over the issue of appointment of VC. “How can we expect from such a university to produce smart students when it is acting irresponsibly?,” she asked. Palta said that the who’s who of the DAVV should remember that the university is named after Devi Ahilyabai and its honour should be kept intact. “The appointment of VC is a natural process but it has been complicated so much that we feel petty for DAVV,” she added.
EC is incompetent it should be dissolved: Mondhe
Padma Shri Bhalchandra Dattatray Mondhe alias Bhalu Mondhe said that the Executive Council of the DAVV has failed to give a non-controversial name in past four meetings for VC search panel, so it is crystal clear that the council is incompetent and it should be disbanded. It is very unfortunate to see that every time, the EC elected any member as its representative to the search panel, controversies followed. I am surprised to see that the EC could not give a non-controversial name in past five months. “What is the use of having such executive council? The Chancellor should dissolve it and appoint a VC of its own choice,” Mondhe said. He also advocated for a local vice chancellor. “All the outside VCs failed to provide stability to the university, so this time a chance should be given to a local candidate whom the Chancellor finds fit for the post,” he said.
