Srinagar June 18(KINS): Government has given Vice Chancellor Kashmir University Professor Talat Ahmad as additional charge of Vice Chancellor Cluster University Srinagar.
In an order issued by Higher Education Department, a copy of which lies with news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) reads, “Consequent upon the acceptance of resignation of the Vice Chancellor of Cluster University Srinagar by the competent authority and in exercise of the powers conferred under section-12 of the Srinagar and Jammu Cluster Universities Act, 2016, it is hereby ordered that the Charge of Vice-Chancellor, Cluster University Srinagar shall be held by Prof. Talat Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir in addition to his own duties, till the appointment of new incumbent is made by the competent authority to take over the office of the Vice Chancellor of Cluster University Srinagar.”
The Higher Education Department of Jammu and Kashmir has already constituted a search committee for the appointment of new vice-chancellors of Cluster University Jammu and Cluster University Srinagar.
The three-member Search Committee, headed by Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon – Principal Secretary, School Education Department, shall draw up a panel of names for appointment of vice-chancellors of both the cluster universities.
Prof Talat Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kashmir and Prof Manoj Kumar Dhar, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jammu, are members of the Search Committee, which has been constituted by the Higher Education Department, in exercise of the power conferred by Section 12(2) of the Srinagar and Jammu Cluster Universities Act, 2016.
Vice-Chancellors, Prof Anju Bhasin (Cluster University Jammu) and Dr Sheikh Javid Ahmed (Cluster University Srinagar), were appointed as VC on January 19, 2017 for tenure of five years.
Their appointments were made by then chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who was ex-officio Chancellor of both the universities, as per the Srinagar and Jammu Cluster Universities Act, 2016, which was later amended under Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Adaptation) of State Laws) Order 2020, that came into force with effect from April 1, 2020.
As per the amended Act, tenure of the vice-chancellors of all the universities under Jammu and Kashmir Government, including both the Cluster Universities, has been reduced to three years from five years while Lt Governor is now ex-officio Chancellor of these universities.
Both the Cluster Universities were established in Jammu and Kashmir in 2016, under centrally-sponsored Rashtriya Ucchtar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) to run series of additional and advanced courses in the existing colleges, with one of the colleges each in Srinagar and Jammu acting as the Lead College for the new universities. (KINS)
