GANDHINAGAR, Sept 30: The list of names of candidates, shortlisted for the post of Bhavnagar University vice-chancellor, was scrapped tonight, putting an end to a controversy which threatened to envelope the office of the Governor, who is Chancellor of the university, as well as the State Government.Chancellor Anshuman Singh scrapped the panel of names on the government recommendation. He also requested the chairman of the search committee, which had prepared the list, to begin the exercise afresh and recommend another panel of names.Sources clarified that the new panel would exclude the names of the three figured in the scrapped list. They were Prof R L Singh of Allahabad University; Prof M H Mehta, Director of GSFC Science Centre and Prof Bharat Oza of Bhavnagar University. The search committee, which had finalised the names, is headed by A P Ravani, a former Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court.The inclusion of Prof Singh's name had led to a controversy, with certain sections alleging that the Governor wanted to foist ``an outsider'' on the university. In fact, before the Chancellor scrapped the list, three employees' unions had formed Bhavnagar University Bachao Samiti to oppose the move.Some BJP leaders, including State unit president Rajendrasinh Rana and Education Minister Anandiben Patel, had conveyed to the Governor their reservations against any move to appoint Prof Singh. They had reportedly told the Governor that this could hurt local sentiments and create problems for the government.The sources said the Governor tried to dispel the impression that he was keen to have Prof Singh as the vice-chancellor. It was a mere coincidence that Prof Singh hailed from UP to which the Chancellor belonged. Raj Bhawan had received Prof Singh's bio-data and forwarded it to the search panel in routine, without making any recommendation.At the same time, the Chancellor expressed unhappiness over attempts to give the matter a local-versus-outside colour when the concern of everybody who wished well of the university should be to find ``the best possible person'' to succeed Vidyut Joshi who retires on November 4.While reasons for the government recommendation were not officially given, the sources did not rule out the possibility of the Chancellor having advised the Government to adopt this course in view of the fact that reports playing up the local-versus-outsider angle kept appearing in newspapers.The sources said the Chancellor was of the view that the leaking of the short-list, which was supposed to be confidential, by the interested persons even before it reached Raj Bhawan had not only vitiated the selection process but given a political colour to a matter which should be decided purely on merit.According to the University Act, the vice-chancellor is appointed by the Chancellor ``in consultation with the State Government'', from among the persons short-listed by a search committee which consists of representatives of the Chancellor, University Grants Commission, the State Board of Vice-Chancellors, and the university's executive council.Differences had arisen between the Government and the Chancellor even at the time of appointment of the Chancellor's nominee, who is chairman of the search committee. The sources said the Government had wanted the Chancellor to appoint a lecturer. But the Governor, who is a retired judge, told the Government that in such matters he was not bound by government advice.Further, the Chancellor also reportedly pointed out that it would be most inappropriate to have a lecturer as chairman of a committee which would recommend names for the post of vice-chancellor. The government then yielded and the Chancellor appointed Ravani as his nominee.
