The three major varsities got their Vice Chancellor(s) on Thursday (April 11) this year. The application was forwarded by EC last week on April 5th, asking the President to recruit the Vice Chancellors for the vacant post. The Universities including Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidhyalaya, Maharashtra and Motihari Central University, Bihar.
Najma Akhtar is appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia University. It is to be noted that Mrs. Akhtar is the first ever woman, who has been appointed as VC in Jamia Univesrity since its inception in 1920. The preceding VC was Talat Ahmed, who moved to Kashmir University last year in 2018.
Najma along with two others, Furqan Qamar and S.M Ishtiaque were shortlisted for the post but the woman held the power and was announced the VC by President of India for the tenure of next five years. Akhtar is the founder-director of State Institute of Educational Management and Training, Uttar Pradesh and an ex-professor of National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA).
Sanjiv Sharma has held the VC post in Motihari central University.The professor was earlier working at the Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut.
Rajneesh Kumar Shukla has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidhyalaya.
The issue was raised when EC gave a nod for the appointments of the VCs during the impose of model code of conduct. Since no appointments are allowed during this period, the HRD Ministry had approached the Election Commission of India seeking its nod arguing that the selection process was complete before the model code came into place.