Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (BAMU) continues to function without a Pro-Vice Chancellor, with the key academic and administrative post remaining unfilled for over three weeks now.
The university's Management Council recently convened and passed significant decisions regarding the recruitment of teachers and statutory officers. Conspicuously absent from the agenda, however, was any resolution to fill the Pro-VC vacancy, an omission that has raised eyebrows across higher education circles.
The Pro-VC is the second most senior functionary in the university hierarchy, assisting the VC in overseeing the institution's academic and executive operations.
The vacancy arose on April 6, when Dr Walmik Sarwade stepped down from the post after being selected as the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Chair Professor at the University of Mumbai. Dr Sarwade, who had served as Pro-VC since February 2024, formally resigned to take up the prestigious chair at Mumbai University.
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Brief history
The Pro-VC position at BAMU has seen a series of incumbents since its creation. Dr Ashok Tejankar, then Principal of Deogiri College, became the university's first Pro-VC in 2018. He was succeeded by Dr Pravin Wakte in 2019. In October 2020, the Governor's office, in its capacity as Chancellor of universities, appointed Dr Shyam Shirsath, Principal of Vivekanand College, to the role.
Since the post is co-terminus with the VC's term, Dr Shirsath's tenure concluded on December 31, 2023, coinciding with the end of then-VC Dr Pramod Yeole's term. When Dr Vijay Fulari assumed charge as Vice Chancellor in January 2024, he appointed Dr Walmik Sarwade as the fourth Pro-VC of BAMU.
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Why post matters
The Pro-VC is far more than a ceremonial appointment. The role demands a candidate with at least 15 years of experience as a professor or principal and entails a wide range of responsibilities. The Pro-VC chairs several key university bodies, including the Board of Deans and the Board of Research, and steps in for the Vice Chancellor at various official committees and authorities in the latter's absence.
Beyond administrative duties, the Pro-VC plays a central role in driving academic quality, promoting research and industry linkages, overseeing appointments of principals and teachers in affiliated colleges, and preparing institutional development plans.