PAU gets interim V-C

Financial Commissioner (Development) Navreet Singh Kang to be at helm till the appointment of a regular V-C.

Financial Commissioner (Development) Navreet Singh Kang took over as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University on Monday. Kang was handed over the charge at a meeting of PAUs board of management at Punjab Secretariat. Kang will hold the post till a new V-C is appointed. The name of Kang was proposed by Chief Secretary S C Aggarwal.

With Dr Manjit Singh Kang relinquishing his charge on April 30,PAU was headless,with no V-C in the chair,when it opened on Monday. The board decided on an interim V-C around afternoon. While the university functioned as normal,there was a lot of speculation on the campus on who would be given the charge.

The appointment of an acting V-C also brings to an end the speculation on Kang getting an extension of another term. All eyes are now set on the three-member selection committee,which is to select the new V-C. The committee comprising N S Kang,S C Aggarwal and Dr G S Kalkat has set the date of May 5 as the last date for submitting applications for the post. As many as 16 applications have already reached the government till now,it is learnt.

According to sources,the state government may offer this post to a scientist of international repute instead of holding interviews or selecting a candidate from the 16 applications it has in hand. An agronomist or a soil scientist is on the top of the state governments list.

The post of vice-chancellor is prestigious and it should be offered to a person instead of calling for applications, said a senior official who did not wish to be named.

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