Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Naresh Chandra has been asked to act as the officiating Vice Chancellor of the University until further orders.
In a major setback to Mumbai University Vice-Chancellor Rajan Welukar, a few months before his retirement, Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao has directed him to abstain from attending the office and discharging his duties as the VC with immediate effect.
"Pro Vice Chancellor of the University Prof Naresh Chandra has been asked to act as the officiating Vice Chancellor of the University until further orders," a Raj Bhavan spokesperson said
The Governor, who is the Chancellor of Universities in the state, has taken the decision in the backdrop of orders passed by the Bombay High Court from time to time while hearing the petitions challenging Welukar's essential eligibility qualification and considering the fact that the court has directed a Search Committee to reconsider the question of the eligibility of Welukar for the post of Vice Chancellor, the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Yuva Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray welcomed the decision to remove Welukar. Taking it to micro-blogging site, Aaditya tweeted, "So finally the Governor asks MU VC to step aside. This is a big relief to students. Nothing personal, but we've countered him for bad admin."
Stating that only last month Sena MLAs ask the Education Minister to sack the VC and he had promised an enquiry on the HC observations on VC, Aaditya added, "The reforms at the university must only begin now with this change. An administrator is needed as the Vice Chancellor to set things right."
Ever since Welukar was appointed in July 2010, his appointment was shrouded in controversies. Various public interest litigations and writ petitions were filed in both Bombay High Court and Supreme Court against his appointment.
The pleas questioned whether he has the qualification to become a vice chancellor, that his appointment was not as per the criteria set by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and that the search committee set up to select him too was not as per UGC recommendation.
The High Court had itself dismissed an application filed by Welukar seeking clarification on the court's earlier order of November 11, 2014, in which it held that the search committee had erred in shortlisting his name for the post.
Recently, an RTI query by activist Anil Galgali had also revealed that the Mumbai university has spent over Rs 12 lakh in cases challenging appointment of Rajan Welukar as its vice chancellor.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}