Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government on Tuesday night appointed senior professor Jagdish Joshi as the in-charge vice-chancellor of Gujarat University, hours after the three-year tenure of vice-chancellor Neerja Gupta came to an end. The late-night announcement put an end to speculation over who would take charge of the university.

Under the usual procedure, the process of appointing a new vice-chancellor begins three to six months before the incumbent’s term ends, with the formation of a search committee. However, the delay in constituting the committee had fuelled speculation that Gupta’s tenure might be extended. As her final day in office passed without any official announcement, uncertainty continued in academic circles.

Unlike the usual practice of announcing such appointments by early evening on the outgoing vice-chancellor’s last day, the government took additional time before finalising its decision.

Joshi, a senior professor associated with the university’s Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC), will serve as the in-charge vice-chancellor until further orders or for a maximum period of 12 months. He had earlier held the same responsibility for a brief period in October 2023. DeshGujarat