Lack of full-time VC affects Patna University working

Patna: All doesn’t seem well with Patna University (PU), the seventh oldest university of the Indian sub-continent, these days. Right from admission to examination, classroom teaching to research, and even day-to-day working of this premier university of the state are virtually at standstill. Lack of a regular, full-time vice-chancellor has only been confounding the situation.

According to a senior teacher of PU, the university is being administered by an acting VC since Oct 17 last year when the full-time regularly appointed VC, Ajay Kumar Singh, was sent on forced leave by governor-cum-chancellor Arif Mohammed Khan pending completion of an inquiry against him by a one-man probe committee, comprising Jharkhand high court’s retired chief justice Ravi Ranjan, into the various charges levelled against the VC. An English teacher of A N College (under Patliputra University), Namita Singh, assumed the charge as the ‘officiating vice-chancellor’ in place of Singh.


According to the notification issued by the chancellor’s secretariat, the inquiry committee was supposed to submit the inquiry report within two months.

“The VC has not acted in accordance with the statutory provisions and the directions issued by the chancellor’s secretariat, and the state department of education regarding the renewal of guest faculties. Furthermore, despite being given several opportunities by the chancellor’s secretariat to process the renewal of guest faculties in accordance with the provisions of the UGC, and in the larger academic interest of Patna University, Singh failed to comply with. He disregarded binding and repeated directions from the chancellor’s secretariat on this issue. Besides, the VC has not submitted the required report sought from him within the stipulated time, demonstrating insubordination and lack of diligence and violation of the provisions of the UGC and the education department,” the notification from the chancellor’s office added.

Informed sources said the inquiry committee submitted its report well in time, but no decision on it has been taken so far.

Lok Bhavan sources said only an interim report has been received by the office and the matter is still sub judice as some fresh queries have been sought from the VC. Come what may, the works of the university are made to suffer due to the ad-hocism prevailing in the university administration, bemoaned some academics.

They pointed out that despite having all the good intentions, the acting VC cannot take all decisions on her without seeking permission from the chancellor. And, seeking permission from the chancellor’s secretariat takes its own time. Appointment and promotion of teachers and other routine activities are being delayed considerably, they said, urging the chancellor to take a final decision in the case of VC and streamline the functioning of the university at the earliest.