With no decision yet on the location of the proposed Central university and the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal indicating the university will not be able to start operation this academic session,the beleaguered Vice-Chancellor Prof Abdul Wahid is in a fix. He has written to the HRD Ministry asking whether the shifting of the darbar from Srinagar to Jammu from November will require him to shift his temporary office from Srinagar to Jammu. I had set up a temporary office in Srinagar as the HRD Ministry resolution notified by the University Grants Commission (UGC) had specified that pending finalisation of the universitys location,a temporary office should be set up in the state capital. Now that the capital will shift to Jammu in November,I have sought advice from the HRD Ministry on whether I have to shift my office to Jammu as the capital will shift there for the winter. I do not want this to cause any more controversy, Wahid told The Indian Express from Srinagar. He had written to the Ministry last week. The summer capital of Srinagar will close on October 22. The winter capital in Jammu will open in the first week of November. Wahid was required to set up a temporary office in the first place so he could begin selection of teaching and non-teaching staff for the proposed university,which was to start operating this year. While the V-C was appointed in March and soon after applications were invited for 20 faculty positions and other non-teaching positions,he is now simply sitting with hundreds of applications from across the country in his office as the university plan did not take off due to protests. We had planned M Phil and Masters courses for this year in management studies,IT and English Literature. Despite the delay in beginning the session,I hoped to start at least M Phil courses as they are not so bound by a yearly academic session, he added. The Central university promised for J-K by the UPA government is mandated under the Central Universities Bill passed by Parliament earlier this year. While the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministrys site selection committee found Jammu a more suitable location for the university and Srinagar was being considered for the IIM,regional politics have led to angry protests on both sides. The Opposition PDP has been demanding twin campuses for a while now while targeting CM Omar Abdullah for failing to get the deal through the Centre. Wahids setting up a temporary office in Srinagar added fuel to the fire with protestors in Jammu alleging these were schemes to get the varsity location shifted to Srinagar. So much so that under pressure,the CM even called on HRD Minister Kapil Sibal last month,proposing a two campus formula to resolve the deadlock. The Ministry,however,is of the view that granting a twin campus plan to J-K will fuel similar demands from others states as well and this will set a bad precedent. Sibal on Thursday said no decision was yet taken on the universitys location. The Ministry has,in fact,in its 100-day report card mentioned that an academic session will not start in J-K and Himachal Pradesh owing to location problems and delay in selection of a V-C respectively. It is learnt the state government has also been advised to wait and let things cool down before taking up the issue again.
