Prof. Andrabi asked to continue till a new VC is appointed 

Srinagar: Governor N N Vohra, who is also the chancellor of Kashmir University, has asked the incumbent vice-chancellor of the University, Prof. Khurshid Iqbal Andrabi to continue in office till his successor is appointed.

The development comes a day after the Registrar of the varsity put the post of the Vice Chancellor for advertisement.

The post was advertised following constitution of a search committee by the university’s chancellor, Governor NN Vohra, in September 2017.

The search committee is headed by Prof D P Agarwal, former chairman of the Union Public Service Commission, while Prof Ehtisham Hasnain, vice-chancellor of Jamia Hamdard University New Delhi and Prof Vijay Gupta, former vice-chancellor of Sharda University are its members.

Top sources in administration said Raj Bhawan Jammu has sent a letter to the office of the vice-chancellor of Kashmir University and present vice-chancellor Prof Khurshid Iqbal Andrabi has been asked to continue till a new face for the varsity is appointed.

“The Chancellor has directed that while the vice Chancellor’s tenure was completed on October 17, 2017, he should continue in office until his successor is appointed,” sources said while referring to a letter received from the Raj Bhawan.

The letter has been issued in reference to the previous communication of vice-chancellor of the varsity wherein he had solicited the Chancellor’s orders in regard to his continuance in office.

“Last month the incumbent VC had written to chancellor of the Kashmir University following dismissal of his writ petition before the High Court. The VC had asked him (Chancellor) to take a call on his continuation,” a top official from the University said.

Already reported in media, section 12 of the University Act reads that “The vice-chancellor shall continue in office beyond expiry of his term until his successor is appointed and enters upon his office.”

The three year term of incumbent vice-chancellor Prof Khurshid Iqbal Andrabi ended in October 2017, following which he had filed a petition in the High Court seeking five-year term in accordance with the amendments made in the J&K Universities Act, 1969.

The Act was amended to the extent that the word “three” for the term of VC shall be substituted by the word “five”.

The High Court however, dismissed the petition, saying it cannot be given a retrospective effect.

 

 

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