Interviews to select Pbi varsity, GNDU V-Cs by month-end

We will follow UGC criteria for grading candidates. Not only marks, their role in research, institution building, framing and participation in policy making will be evaluated.

PATIALA Interviews to appoint new vice-chancellors (V-Cs) of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, and Punjabi University, Patiala, will be held by month-end.

A five-member search-cumselection committee, headed by former Punjab Tractors CMD Chandra Mohan, has found 119 of the 271 candidates eligible after initial scrutiny.

Appointed by the previous regime, V-Cs of the both universities quit after the Congress government assumed charge. To avoid any legal implication, the government preferred to constitute a search committee instead of directly appointing the V-Cs.

The panel rejected the candidature of Lt Gen Navkiran Singh Negi, IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, IAS officer Mohinder Kumar, who served as the V-C of Indira Gandhi University Meerpur, Riwari (Haryana), and Lt Gen Rakesh Sharma (retd) as they failed the eligibility criteria of 10 years of experience as professor/researcher (professor’s grade pay) and having age less than 65 years.

According to information, 87 candidates have been found eligible for the GNDU and 92 for Punjabi University. Of these, 59 are common candidates. Thirtyfour candidates have given first preference to Punjabi University and 13 have opted for the GNDU as their first choice and nine have opted for both the universities.

The panel will now shortlist 10 candidates each for the GNDU and Punjabi University for interview. When contacted, Chandra Mohan said: “We will follow UGC criteria for grading candidates. Not only marks, but their role in research, institution building, framing and participation in higher education policy making will also be evaluated,” he said.

The shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview in last week of June, and process will be complete by month-end,” he said.

Besides Chandra Mohan, Dr BS Dhillon, V-C, Punjab Agricultural University, RS Khandpur, and former director general of Pushpa Gujral Science City, are among the members of the committee. The chief secretary and secretary, higher education, are the ex-officio members.