Delhi University (DU) Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi has completed two years on 10 March, but is yet to form a permanent team of officials, including a full time pro-V-C, Dean of Colleges, and Proctor.
Currently, the post of Pro-V-C is additionally held by J.P. Khurana, who was appointed as Director, South Campus. Khurana who teaches Plant Molecular Biology in DU, is also the Dean of Colleges on a temporary basis. The pro-V-C performs the functions of the V-C when he or she is on leave and the term of the pro-V-C is five years.
Teachers, however, said this is not the first time the university has been without a full-time pro-V-C. At present, Professor Neeta Sehgal is the interim Proctor. The Proctor is appointed by the Executive Council on the recommendation of the Vice Chancellor and exercises such powers and performs such duties in respect of maintenance of discipline among students, as are assigned by the Vice Chancellor. The Proctor holds office for a term of two years.
“In a big university like DU, the posts of pro-VC, Dean of Colleges and Proctor being on a temporary basis, is causing great difficulties in the smooth functioning of the university. How can one person manage to control three important posts of a university like DU?” a DU professor said on the condition of anonymity. The same professor also questioned the logic of Tyagi being DU’s V-C despite his “extraordinary leave” from two prominent universities. “In a country where jobs are scarce, a professor has been granted such an extraordinary pleasure of leave from two prominent universities and given a V-C’s post in a third university. DU is an example of deteriorating ethical functioning standards in our universities,” the same professor cited above told The Sunday Guardian.
Professor Tyagi joined South Asian University (SAU) after taking an “extraordinary leave” from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and he further joined as V-C in DU after availing of the same kind of leave from SAU. Sources have also said that Tyagi is not drawing his salary from DU as he is still negotiating the same pay scale as he was availing in SAU. However, the UGC has not yet accepted his demand. The Sunday Guardian tried to get Tyagi’s version on his salary issues, but he has not yet responded.
Kavita Sharma, president of SAU, confirmed that professor Tyagi has taken an “extraordinary leave”, but he is not drawing any salary from SAU. “Professor Tyagi has taken two years’ leave from SAU which shall be further extended, if needed,” Sharma said.
On the condition of anonymity, another DU teacher told The Sunday Guardian: “It does not seem that the wait for appointment of a team of university officials on a full-time basis would end soon as the DU administration has made a habit of practicing adhocism in each and every department.”
“Currently, close to 22 DU colleges don’t have a permanent principal and almost 4,000 teaching posts are vacant, but nothing is happening to fill these posts,” the teacher quoted above said.