Delhi University has to wait for its new VC after K Kasturirangan dropped from search panel

NEW DELHI: The hunt for a vice-chancellor to succeed Dinesh Singh at the Delhi University is likely to take longer even though Singh completes his tenure on October 29th, as eminent scientist K Kasturirangan, who was in the panel to select the new V-C is set to be dropped from the search-cum-selection committee.

Other members of the panel are former Comptroller & Auditor General Vinod Rai and the chairman of the UGC, Ved Prakash.

Kasturirangan, incidentally a nominee of the University’s Executive Council, is currently serving as an honorary professor at the Delhi University and hence it is seen as a conflict of interest if he is in the panel that selects the new V-C, as per provisions of the University of Delhi Act. Kasturirangan pointed out the issue to the Smriti Irani-led HRD ministry.

Queries emailed to Kasturirangan elicited no response at the time of going to press.

The process to find a replacement for Kasturirangan will be time consuming as it will require the DU executive council to meet again and recommend a candidate and the same will then have to be routed through the visitor to the varsity — President Pranab Mukherjee.

The ministry is learnt to be seeking legal opinion on how to proceed with the selection process. It is unclear just now whether the outgoing VC will be allowed to continue until his successor his appointed.