CM can be college administrator, no role in VC appointment, says Governor in Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Chief Minister, as head of administration, can intervene in the functioning of colleges but has no role in appointing vice-chancellors, Governor Rajendra Arlekar has said. His remarks, made in a petition filed in the Supreme Court, seek to exclude the Chief Minister from the appointment process of vice-chancellors in digital and technical universities. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has also filed an application in the Supreme Court to become a party in the case.

The Governor, who is also the Chancellor, clarified that under UGC rules, the Chief Minister has no authority in vice-chancellor appointments. He has approached the Supreme Court seeking an amendment to an earlier judgment that allowed the Chief Minister’s involvement in the process. In a ruling on Bengal, the court directed that the panel prepared by the search committee headed by former Chief Justice UU Lalit be handed over to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Similarly, the Supreme Court directed that the panel prepared by the search committee led by Justice Sudhanshu Dulia for digital and technological universities should be handed over to the Chief Minister. However, the Digital and Technological Universities Act specifies that neither the Minister nor the Chief Minister has any role in such appointments. The Governor has therefore requested the court to remove the direction to hand over the panel to the Chief Minister, and instead, to submit it directly to him.

The search committee headed by Justice Dulia has four members, two representing the state government and two nominated by the Chancellor. The Governor, in his application, also pointed out that the UGC has a crucial role in vice-chancellor appointments and has requested that a UGC representative be included in the search committee.

UGC: Experts in higher education must be included

The UGC has also approached the Supreme Court in a decisive move on vice-chancellor appointments in digital and technical universities. The commission is seeking permission to become a party in the case. It noted that rules have already been framed for constituting search committees for vice-chancellor appointments. The UGC has argued that experts in higher education should be part of the committees and that appointments should not contravene UGC regulations. It has therefore requested to be formally included in the proceedings related to digital and technical universities.