Nagpur: After a prolonged delay of nearly 11 months, the race to appoint a full-time Vice Chancellor (VC) of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) has finally gathered momentum. The search panel, constituted by Chancellor and Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan, has issued a formal advertisement inviting applications for the coveted post. The last date to apply is August 7.
For almost a year now, the 100-year-old university has been functioning under interim leadership.
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It may be recalled that Governor Radhakrishnan relieved Gondwana University Vice Chancellor Dr Prashant Bokare of the additional charge of RTMNU, directing him to hand over the charge to Additional Divisional Commissioner Madhavi Khode-Chavre. Dr Bokare had first held the RTMNU’s Vice Chancellor position from March 11 to April 11 last year after the suspension of then Vice Chancellor late Subhash Chaudhari. He was reinstated in July 2024 following Chaudhari’s second suspension, and continued after Chaudhari’s demise in September 2024 till the charge was given to the Additional Divisional Commissioner.
The three-member search committee includes IIT Jodhpur Director Prof. Avinash Agarwal as the nominee from RTMNU’s Management Council, named back in September 2024. The committee also comprises the state government’s Principal Secretary (Higher and Technical Education) or a representative, along with a nominee of the Governor.
With the advertisement now released, sources suggest it could take at least two more months to finalise the appointment. The process includes receiving applications, scrutiny, shortlisting, interviews, and eventually recommending a panel of five names to the Governor, who will make the final selection.
Meanwhile, the announcement has reignited political manoeuvring on campus. Two influential student-teacher factions — the Shikshan Manch and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) — are reportedly lobbying hard to get their respective candidates into the final shortlist.
According to insiders, ABVP has intensified its efforts to secure the post for its nominee, banking on its growing influence in recent months. On the other hand, Shikshan Manch, once a dominant force in university politics, is seen trying to regain its footing amid internal setbacks.
The ongoing tug-of-war reflects the deep political undercurrents that often accompany top academic appointments in Maharashtra’s universities. As the process unfolds, all eyes remain on who will eventually be entrusted with steering RTMNU through its next chapter.
