Absence of V-C puts BU in limbo

Nischith N | NT

It has been more than a week since the last vicechancellor of Bangalore University (BU) Prof K.R. Venugopal’s appointment was set aside by the Karnataka High Court. But the Karnataka Government and Governor’s Office have remained silent on the appointment of a full-time VC or an in-charge.

University officials and senior professors are upset at the government’s inaction because BU’s convocation day is fast approaching. “The University’s 56th annual convocation is scheduled to be held on April 8 at 11am. The governor, who is chancellor of the university, will preside over the event. But we don’t have a vicechancellor, who takes care of all the financial affairs. I would not be surprised that the convocation will be held without the VC. So better the government should look into it and at least the in-charge person to handle all the happenings,” a senior official of Bangalore University said.

The University officials complain that most of the works are pending because of the forthcoming convocation. The next academic year budget decision was scheduled on March 31 and also the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) committee will be visiting the University at the end of April. Non-teaching staff from various administrative sections of the university say the administration is in limbo.

It is claimed that the registrar of the university has power to give financial sanction only up to some extent.

“The academic work always happens within a structured routine. But the absence of a vice-chancellor is felt in administrative matters, as there is no one on the campus to guide the functioning,” said a University faculty member.

Meanwhile, Prof K.R. Venugopal has moved the Supreme Court against the HC order. The division bench of the High Court on March 16 had upheld an order passed in 2019 by a single judge that had set aside the appointment of Venugopal as vice-chancellor of Bangalore University by the then Governor. The bench of Justice S Sujatha and Justice Shivashankar Amarannavar of the HC had dismissed the appeals filed against the order passed by the single judge on September 24, 2019.