Nine varsities to go headless in a week

The Telangana University Vice-Chancellor has already been removed from the position by the State government and Principal Secretary to Government (Education department) Burra Venkatesham has been holding the post as VC in charge.

Hyderabad: In a week, nine State universities, including Osmania University will go headless. As the three-year tenure of nine Vice-Chancellors ends next Wednesday, the posts will fall vacant as their successors are yet to be identified and appointed.

At 5 pm on May 21, the VCs of Osmania University, Kakatiya University, Palamuru University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Satavahana University, Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, Dr BR Ambedkar Open University, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological UniversityHyderabad and Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University will demit their offices.

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The Telangana University Vice-Chancellor has already been removed from the position by the State government and Principal Secretary to Government (Education department) Burra Venkatesham has been holding the post as VC in charge.

With the tenure of heads of these universities heading to a closure, the State government issued a notification inviting applications from eligible candidates. More than 1,380 applications from 312 aspirants, including incumbent V-Cs and Telangana State Council of Higher Education officials were received.

Though the notification was issued on January 27, the V-Cs selection process hit a bump due to Lok Sabha polls which concluded on Monday and the results are slated for June 4.

However, the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduates Constituency by-election is scheduled for May 27 with results on June 5. University-wise search committees comprising three members — a representative each from the university, University Grants Commission and the State government — after perusing the applications, recommend three names.

The government then sends these three names to the Governor, who is also Chancellor of the universities.

With Lok Sabha polls in the State concluding, the Education Department is now planning to approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking permission to begin the selection process.

Sources said the VCs will be appointed if the ECI permits now or else after the model code of conduct ends. Meanwhile, if there is a delay, the government may appoint bureaucrats as in-charge VCs.