KCR clears V-Cs for 10 varsities, awaits Gov. nod

The government has referred the names to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan for approval. Following her nod, the appointment orders will be issued in a day or two.

After establishing a fullfledged TS Public Service Commission (TSPSC) on Wednesday, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has now shifted his focus to state universities that were functioning without vice-chancellors for almost two years now.

He has cleared names of VCs for 10 universities and referred them to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Chancellor of Universities, for approval, according to official sources. The universities include Osmania, Kakatiya, Telangana, Satavahana, Palamuru, Mahatma Gandhi, JNTU-Hyderabad, Telugu University, Ambedkar Open University and JNAFAU.

Following the Governor’s nod, the government

will issue orders appointing V-Cs in a day or two.

Administrative and academic activities of all those varsities have been badly affected in the last two years. They could not fill teaching and nonteaching vacancies in the absence of regular V-Cs. A majority of the posts continue to remain vacant.

When the V-Cs of these 10 universities retired in July 2019, the state government appointed IAS officers as in-charge VCs, a decision that drew sharp criticism from academicians, the teaching community, student unions and opposition parties. At one stage, even the Governor expressed displeasure over the inordinate delay and urged the government to expedite the process.

In the meantime, some petitions were filed in the High Court over the government’s failure in appointing VCs. The court also rapped the government for the delay on various occasions.

The pace at which Chandrasekhar Rao is filling up vacancies and nominated posts in the government has raised hopes of disgruntled TRS leaders, who are eyeing them. TRS leaders, who failed to secure party tickets to contest Assembly and Lok Sabha polls and those who lost elections, are lobbying for nominated posts in corporations.