Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has taken a decisive step in ensuring the appointment of new Vice-Chancellors for two of the state's most prestigious universities - the University of Mumbai (MU) and Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).
After the previous committees were dissolved by the Chancellor's Office in November 2022, the Governor has appointed two separate committees, each tasked with picking a new Vice-Chancellor for their respective universities.
The MU Vice-Chancellor search committee will be led by Dr. D P Singh, a former Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), who with a wealth of experience in the field of education and a reputation for being a visionary, to search for MU's next Vice-Chancellor. Alongside him on the search committee are Prof. Pramod Kumar Jain, Anand Limaye, and Prof. Suresh Kumar.
On the other hand, the SPPU Vice-Chancellor search panel will be headed by Dr. Anil Sahasrabudhe, a former Chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). With a track record of success and a passion for education, Dr. Sahasrabudhe is more than equipped to guide the search for SPPU's next leader. Joining him on the search committee are Abhay Karandikar, Deepak Kapoor, and Dr. Meena R Chandawarkar.
The formation of these committees comes after a crucial ruling by the UGC, mandating that a member of the search committee must be nominated by the UGC Chairman for the VC selection. Prior to this ruling, the Maharashtra government had not been following this guideline, leading to a court ruling in November 2022.
In response to this ruling, the Maharashtra cabinet decided to amend the Maharashtra Public University Act based on UGC guidelines, a move that was seen as a significant step towards ensuring the appointment of high-quality leaders for the state's universities.
The term of MU's Vice-Chancellor Suhas Pednekar ended on September 10 and is being held by the Vice-Chancellor of Shivaji University. Meanwhile, the term of SPPU's Vice-Chancellor Nitin Karmalkar ended on May 18, 2022, and is being held by Karbhari Kale.
The governor's appointment of these committees is the latest step in a journey that has been driven by a commitment to ensuring that the state's universities are equipped.