Vadodara: The controversy surrounding the appointment of former MS University Vice-Chancellor VK Shrivastava, who resigned in January, is yet to subside. Now, the university faces another issue, as questions are being raised over the eligibility of a member of the search committee tasked with selecting his successor.

Academicians and citizens have expressed concerns about the qualifications of Atul Vaidya, a member of the search committee. The matter has been brought to the attention of the Registrar and the Board of Management, but no formal action has been taken yet.

The search panel, responsible for recommending shortlisted candidates for the MSU Vice-Chancellor position to the state government, comprises retired IAS officer A. M. Mankad as the chairperson, Professor Battu Satyanarayana, Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Karnataka (appointed by the UGC), and Dr. Atul Vaidya.

Vaidya, previously the Director of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), is now serving as the Vice-Chancellor of Laxminarayan Innovation Technological (LIT) University in Maharashtra. As per university regulations, the search committee must include a director or head of an institution of national repute established by an Act of Parliament. Since LIT is a state university, concerns have emerged regarding Vaidya’s continued eligibility.

MSU professors and concerned citizens are urging the administration to take corrective measures to uphold the credibility of the selection process. Vaidya stated that he had informed MSU about his change in position and was willing to resign if his presence in the committee was contested.

Vaidya mentioned that he was appointed to the committee in November and assumed his V-C position at LIT in December. He stated that he had informed MSU of the change and had not been asked to step down. He also clarified that the search committee had met twice online but had yet to shortlist any candidates for the V-C position. DeshGujarat