Tenure of Maharashtra varsity's V-C extended

Tenure of Maharashtra varsity's V-C extended
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

AURANGABAD, DEC 6: Maharashtra Governor and Chancellor of State universities Dr P C Alexander, on Thursday extended the tenure of acting vice chancellor, Dr V M Momte by two months, until February 4, 2000. A fax communication to this effect was received by the vice chancellor's office on Thursday afternoon. Dr Momte had assumed charge on November 4, at the end of the five year tenure of Dr Shivraj Nakade.

The Chancellor's decision is being widely understood here as his first step towards referring back the panel of candidates recommended by the university senate for appointment to the VC's post. Dr Alexander had interviewed all the five members of the panel on November 11, in Mumbai.

They were Director of Staff Academic College, Dr P K Nikam, Professor in Department of Chemical Dr D D Dhule, Professor in the Department of Economics, Dr G S Karyankar, Principal of Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College, P B Borade, Principal of the Swami Vivekanand College, Dr Gangadhar Pathrikar and Former SecretaryEducation Department K P Sonowane.

Academicians here feel the Chancellor's decision has been influenced by the change of Government at the center. Interestingly post of vice-chancellor's of both the universities in Marathwada, the other one being Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded, are vacant.

Among the two major pressure groups lobbying for the posts are the Sharad Pawar group and that of the Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, himself, who hails from Latur in Marathwada.