Faculty members say post not advertised within university, committee to rework eligibility criteria

Though the much coveted Rajiv Gandhi Chair at Panjab University has finally got a head, the poor response by applicants seems to be raising questions on the selection process.

Only four candidates applied for the chair and appeared for interviews held last month in Delhi.

While Panjab University faculty members say the post was not advertised properly, Vice-Chancellor Professor R C Sobti maintained that not many applicants came forward despite widespread publicity.

Talking to Newsline, Professor Sobti said: “The interview for the chair was advertised in two national newspapers and I had personally written to many universities about the vacancy asking them to inform eligible faculty members. I have no answer to justify the poor response.”

PU faculty members, meanwhile, are not willing to buy the V-C’s statement. They rue that the V-C should have told the university departments about the vacancy before sending out personal letters to other universities.

A senior faculty member from the Sciences department said: “Charity begins at home and if the V-C had written to other universities, he should have also written to chairpersons of at least the Sciences department in the university. He could have sought the names of those faculty members who fulfill the eligibility criteria.”

Professor A D Ahluwalia, a faculty member at the Botany department in the university, who was also among the four applicants, said: “I would blame the academic community as they are yet to wake up to the culture of chairs. I also believe awareness among the academic fraternity about such chairs needs to be increased.”

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