Indore: While the process for appointment of a regular vice-chancellor at Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) is going on, the past shows that not a single vice-chancellor has competed his tenure at this Grade A+ accredited university in the last 20 years.
While two vice-chancellors had been removed by the State government, others were forced to put in papers before their tenure of four years could be complete as they were unable to run the university properly.
Dr Bharat Chhaparwal was made vice chancellor for the second time in a row in 2000. In January 2003, the state government invoked Section 52 of Madhya Pradesh Vishwavidyalaya Adhiniyam which stripped Chhaparwal of his charge nearly eight months before he could complete his four-year tenure. Prof AL Sharma was appointed in his place who was also shown the door and CS Chhadha replaced him.
Chhadha was made a regular VC in 2004 but he failed to deliver and he was made to resign in 2006. Prof Rajkamal was given charge of acting vice-chancellor until Bhagirath Prasad took over in March 2007. However, Prasad resigned in 2008 to contest Lok Sabha elections from Guna seat. Rajkamal was made acting VC for the second time. In 2009, Ajit Singh Sherawat was appointed as VC but he could not stay at DAVV for long. In March, 2010 he resigned citing personal reasons. The then rector Ashutosh Mishra was thus given charge of acting VC until PK Mishra took over the charge.
Mishra held the post for nearly 18 months and then resigned making way for Rajkamal to take over acting VC post for the third time.
In July, 2012 came Prof DP Singh who remained in DAVV for almost three years. He put in his papers to take up directorship of NAAC in August 2015.
Mishra got acting VC charge for the second time. In 2016, Dr Narendra Dhakad was made VC but he too could not complete his tenure. After completion of three years in office, the government invoked Section 52 at DAVV which led to his ouster. Currently, Prof Renu Jain is in office even as the process for appointment of regular VC is underway. Will the new VC be able to complete his tenure this time?
