The delay in appointment of vice chancellors (VC) of six public-sector universities is being criticised by educationists, students and stakeholders, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to educationists, due to the delay in appointment of VCs, problems in these institutions are multiplying. They said that the delay also shows the lack of interest in these universities on the part of the Punjab government. Sources in the Punjab Higher Education (HED) Department said that the department had completed the whole process and the search committee, after conducting interviews of candidates and finalising their names, has sent the names of short-listed candidates to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
HED officials, who are left with no choice but to wait and see, disclosed that the delay was on the Punjab government’s part. Similarly, confusion is seen at universities functioning without regular VCs and faculty members and students have been left at the mercy of additional VCs who are allegedly using powers for their own vested interests. Slots of regular VCs are vacant at the Government College University (GCU), Lahore, University of Education, Lahore, University of Sargodha, Bahauddin Zikriya University, Multan, Lahore College for Women University and the Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi.
The HED had advertised for the posts four months ago and interviews of 50 selected candidates were conducted two months ago. Sources in the HED said that the delay is also tarnishing the repute of the HED and students and educationists are pointing fingers at the department. They said that the search committee conducted interviews of candidates in a transparent manner and now names of the VCs are lying before the Punjab CM for his approval.
Political groups that exist in these varsities are planning to start protests over the delay in appointments. Various political organisations are lobbying to get their supported candidates appointed as VCs. Some powerful lobbies in the Punjab University (PU) are also trying have one of the two PU deans appointed as VC although the candidature of one has been rejected for being a third divisioner while the second is still in the run.
A GCU faculty member also criticised the delay in appointments and said that the historic institution is suffering the most as a result. Insaaf Students Organisation (ISF) workers are also threatening to start protests this week against the delay in appointments, as according to them it is a failure of Shahbaz Sharif’s government that it could not even complete the process of VCs appointments in varsities.
of course it is lack of interest of our rulers and failure of a CM who claims that promotion of education is his top priority….
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