Fourteen per cent of India’s 130 premier greater schooling establishments below the Ministry of Training (MoE) — spanning central universities (CUs), IITs, IIMs, NITs, and IISERs — lack everlasting heads and are being run by Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs) and administrators who’re both serving in an interim capability or on prolonged tenures, in accordance with an evaluation by The Indian Specific.
This newspaper scrutinised the standing of appointments to the highest publish at 48 central universities, 23 IITs, 21 IIMs, 31 NITs, and eight IISERs, and located that eight CUs, 4 IIMs, two IITs, three NITs, and one IISER – a complete of 18 establishments of nationwide significance — at present function with interim management, with some ( reminiscent of IIMs at Calcutta and Lucknow) missing everlasting heads for over a 12 months.
This discovering is important on condition that the union authorities is within the midst of implementing and rolling out reforms below the Nationwide Training Coverage 2020. An interim or performing head of an establishment normally stays away from taking any main administrative selections. Additional, a parliamentary committee not too long ago made sturdy observations on the federal government not filling tops posts in central universities.
In its report on the Division of Increased Training’s demand for grants 2025-26, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Training, Ladies, Youngsters, Youth and Sports activities, headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, famous: “The committee is deeply pained to know that as of December 2024, as much as ten Central Universities are working with out common VCs…the Committee is deeply anguished by the failure to nominate management for these 10 greater schooling establishments and recommends that the Division (of upper schooling) ought to take crucial motion on this regard expeditiously.”
When reached for a touch upon the standing of those 18 establishments and why everlasting heads haven’t been appointed but, a spokesperson for the MoE mentioned that they’re “below course of” with out wishing to say something additional.
For CUs, IITs, IIMs, NITs and IISERs, the union authorities controls appointments with ultimate approval energy. As an example, at IIMs, every institute’s Board of Governors should get the President’s (as Customer) approval earlier than appointing a Director. The IIT Council, headed by the Training Minister, appoints IIT Administrators after Presidential approval. Equally, NIT and IISER Administrators are appointed by the President primarily based on choice committee suggestions. For Central Universities established by Parliament, the President as Customer appoints Vice-Chancellors from names really useful by choice committees.
Among the many 23 IITs, Kharagpur and Hyderabad do not need common administrators. IIT Kharagpur has had a Director in-charge from late December 2024 onwards, whereas the time period of the Director at IIT Hyderabad led to August final 12 months.
Story continues under this advert
At IIM Calcutta, Saibal Chattopadhyay, a professor on the institute, was appointed Director in-charge by the Board of Governors in January 2024. Uttam Kumar Sarkar, who was appointed as Director in 2021, resigned in 2023, and he was adopted by Sahadeb Sarkar who had a brief stint of round two months, earlier than Chattopadhyay was appointed.
Equally, at IIM Lucknow, Professor Archana Shukla, who accomplished her five-year time period as Director in April final 12 months, was then appointed Director in-charge by the Board of Governors until an everyday Director is appointed. Of the 21 IIMs, 4 – Calcutta, Lucknow, Shillong and Kashipur – are with out common administrators.
he NITs in Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Srinagar have Administrators in -charge who took over within the second half of 2024. For NIT Uttarakhand, this was the second Director in-charge to take over simply in that 12 months.
Among the many Central Universities – there are 48 below the Ministry of Training – Indira Gandhi Nationwide Open College (IGNOU) has had a very lengthy stint with out a common VC. Whereas Professor Nageshwar Rao’s tenure led to 2023, he was given a 12 months’s extension. Prof Uma Kanjilal was then appointed as performing VC in July 2024.
Story continues under this advert
Rajiv Gandhi College in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim College have additionally seen related conditions. Prof S.Ok. Nayak was appointed VC in-charge of Rajiv Gandhi College in October final 12 months, and earlier than him, Prof Saket Kushwaha held the publish for six years, with an prolonged tenure lasting a 12 months. Whereas Sikkim College has had an officiating VC from August 2024 onwards, the tenure of the earlier VC, which led to 2023, had been prolonged by a 12 months.
The present VC of the Central College of Gujarat, Rama Shanker Dubey, whose five-year time period led to November final 12 months, can be on an prolonged tenure for a 12 months or until the appointment of a brand new VC.
