By Rajesh Pandey
The Allahabad High Court has issued a final deadline of April 16 for the Union government to appoint a vice-chancellor (VC) for Banaras Hindu University (BHU). BHU is one of several central higher educational institutions currently functioning without a regular VC or director.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra passed the directive on Wednesday after the government failed to honor its previous assurances regarding the appointment.
As per regulations, the President of India, serving as the Visitor of the university, is responsible for appointing the VC based on recommendations provided by a search and selection panel. The Ministry of Education constitutes these panels and forwards the selected candidates’ names to the President for final approval.
The matter was brought to the court’s attention through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Harikesh Bahadur Singh, a resident of Varanasi. Singh accused the previous BHU vice-chancellor, S.K. Jain, of misusing his authority. Jain’s tenure ended two months ago, yet a replacement has not been appointed.
On January 8, the Ministry of Education requested an extension of one week to finalize the appointment, which the court granted, setting February 5 as the deadline. However, after failing to meet this deadline, the ministry sought additional time, which was extended to March 5. Despite this, the government again failed to make the appointment, prompting the court’s latest ruling on March 12, setting the final deadline for April 16.
In its latest order, the court expressed frustration over repeated delays, stating: “Today again, time is being sought without any information about any progress on the part of the respondents. Adjournment is being sought due to personal difficulty of the counsel representing the Union of India. The last opportunity is granted to do the needful, as has been assured to the court on the last three occasions. List the petition on April 16 as fresh.”
Singh criticized the government for its lack of urgency in filling key positions, highlighting that the executive council of BHU, the institution’s highest decision-making body, has had several vacancies since June 2021. “The government does not care about the institutions or the courts. This is evident from the fact that it has failed to meet its commitment for the third time,” Singh remarked.
Education activist Naveen Nautiyal, who has been involved in multiple legal battles over irregularities in VC appointments, pointed out that numerous central institutions are currently without permanent leadership. These include BHU, Visva-Bharati, the Central University of Kerala, the Central University of Gujarat, Rajiv Gandhi University, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Hyderabad, IIM Calcutta, and IIM Lucknow.
According to Nautiyal, the delay in appointments reflects the government’s lack of priority towards higher education. “Higher education is not a priority for the central government, which is why these appointments are delayed. Without focusing on education, India cannot establish itself as a global leader. The government must emphasize education, research, and innovation,” he stated.
He further added, “Education is a long-term investment. Unfortunately, the government appears more concerned with immediate electoral gains. Education does not fit into the framework of electoral politics.”
During a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday regarding the functioning of the education ministry, opposition parties alleged that the delay in appointments was due to the government’s inability to find candidates aligned with its ideological stance. However, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan denied these claims.
