Give charge of principal posts to most senior profs only: Bihar Guv to varsities

A month after the Raj Bhavan served show-cause notice to vice chancellor of Pataliputra University, RK Singh, for alleged lapses in the appointment of principals-in-charge in colleges under its purview, and restrained him from taking any policy decision, it has directed all the universities in the state to ensure that the most senior professors only are given charge as principals.

“It has been observed that junior professors have been given charge as college principals in place of seniors, which is against the Raj Bhavan direction and statutes,” said the letter from Robert L Chongthu, principal secretary to the Governor, to all the universities.

The Governor’s Office has ordered the compliance of the order within 15 days since its issuance, and a report be submitted to Governor-cum-Chancellor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.

In a separate letter to Pataliputra University (where the V-C has been restrained from any policy decision and with the Raj Bhavan’s stand on the response to the show-cause still awaited), Munger University and Purnea University, the Raj Bhavan has sought proposal for appointing principal in-charge in college in accordance with the earlier direction and statutes for the Chancellor’s approval.

The direction will not apply to Nalanda Open University, Aryabhatta Knowledge University, Bihar Agriculture University and Bihar Animal Science University as they don’t have constituent colleges under them.

The Raj Bhavan had served show-cause to the Pataliputra University V-C over alleged irregularities in the appointment of principals-in-charge by giving charge to junior teachers, which was raised through a starred question in the Bihar legislative assembly by BJP MLA Arun Kumar Sinha during the recently concluded monsoon session. The MLA also sought action against the erring officials if the allegations were found true.