Head of IIAS to leave before tenure end

The director of Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS),Prof Peter Ronald deSouza,will be leaving the institute much ahead of his second tenure,ending this year. His likely successor will be Dr Chetan Singh,a History professor at Himachal Pradesh University. This will be the first time in the history of IIAS when a Shimla-based scholar will get opportunity to the head the institute.

Inquiries from Union HRD ministry reveals that Singh may initially be appointed as acting director and later his name will be formally cleared as deSouza’s successor.

Reports suggest deSouza may be asked to stay till May,when President Mukherjee will be visiting Shimla to inaugurate the newly set-up International Tagore Centre,a brainchild of Prof deSouza.