Search panel to interview candidates for new vice chancellor on January 9

The process for appointment of new vice chancellor (VC) for University of Pune (UoP) is gathering speed. The three-member search committee formed for helping the governor in selecting the next VC is going to interview the 19 shortlisted candidates on January 9, before making their final submission.

R Narayanan, the committee’s nodal officer and registrar of the Bangalore-based Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), told DNA over phone on Monday, “The committee members are expected to arrive in Pune on January 2. The interviews would take place at the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (Yashada). Though it isn’t mandatory, candidates can make presentations about their vision for the university during the interview.”

The shortlist was made after scrutiny of 157 applications received for the post. Refusing to reveal the names of selected candidates, Narayanan said that five names would be sent to the governor for final selection after the interviews.

“It won’t take much time as the names would be sent within a couple of days after the interviews,” he said.

On the likelihood of the new VC taking over the chair before January 26 (Republic Day), he said, “We cannot commit as the five names have to be sent to the governor. He will meet these candidates and announce his decision, so it would be difficult to predict the exact dates. However, the process from search committee will end much in advance.”

The committee appointed by the state government includes ISEC director, RS Deshpande; Punjab and Haryana high court retired chief justice, Mukul Mudgal; and principal secretary in the higher and technical education department, Sanjay Kumar.

Shortlisted candidates can submit their presentations to the search committee till January 3.