Governor’s principal secy is LU vice-chancellor for six months

“I am grateful to the Governor for the trust reposed in me,” Patnaik said. Terming it a learning process,Patnaik said he had come with an “open mind.”

Patnaik has been appointed for a duration of six months,“or until further orders,whichever is earlier”. The Governor,also the university’s chancellor,cited “unavoidable circumstances” for appointing Patnaik only for six months,as opposed to a full term of three years.

The outgoing V-C faced minor protests by some students who burnt his effigy even as he handed over the charge. Although Mishra completed his three-year term,he had to face opposition from several quarters,mainly after the announcement of student union elections after the Samajwadi Party assumed power. The polls have since been put on hold by the Allahabad High Court.

“I will do as the high court directs me,” Patnaik said regarding the student elections.

On his first day itself,the new V-C swung into action and visited Subhash hostel of the university and then called a meeting of all provosts. “I had read newspaper reports which said that the food in that hostel was poor. But,on my visit,I realised that not just the food,the living standard too is very poor,” he said.

“How can you expect students to excel and focus on studies if they are occupied in addressing their basic necessities?” he said. “Bottom line is that the university exists for the students. I’d want to create an ambience where the students feel at home.”

However,due to his non-academic background,voices against him have already started rising in the university. “We don’t agree with the Governor’s decision. A non-academic V-C cannot really understand or appreciate the concerns of teachers. We need an academic leader for academic activities,events,seminars,etc. For administrative purposes,we already have the proctor and his team,apart from a police outpost in the campus,” said LU Teachers Association president Vinod Singh,clarifying that the association is “not against the individual and would continue to work with him”.

This is not the first time a non-academic V-C has been appointed. “Previously Ashok Kumar Mustafi and Girija Prasad Pandey,both IAS officers,were appointed V-Cs,while Acharya Narendra Dev was a politician,” said Professor Rajesh Mishra.