Former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan to head panel for selection of new Mumbai University VC

Mumbai: Eminent scientist Dr K Kasturirangan was on Wednesday named chairman of the search committee to appoint the new vice-chancellor of Mumbai University after Dr Sanjay Deshmukh was sacked for delay in announcing results of the March 2017 university exams in time. Kasturirangan, former chief of ISRO and Padma Vibhushan awardee, is now the chairman of the committee to prepare the final draft of the National Education Policy. [caption id=“attachment_3746483” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of K Kasturirangan. Image courtesy: ISRO official website[/caption] Deshmukh was removed as VC on Tuesday for gross negligence and failure to announce the results in time. Governor and Mumbai University Chancellor Vidyasagar Rao exercised the powers conferred upon him under section 11(14) (e) of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016 to sack Deshmukh. A statement issued by Raj Bhavan had stated that Deshmukh (52) had failed to comply with directions regarding early declaration of results issued by the chancellor from time to time. Deshmukh, who worked with the RSS think-tank Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini as director (research) from 2001 to 2003, was appointed as Rajan Welukar’s successor to be the varsity’s vice-chancellor in July 2015. Notwithstanding Opposition from stake-holders and the government and the university’s lack of preparedness to handle the online assessment, Deshmukh hastily implemented the massive project which created the chaos in the last five months. In August, he was asked to go on forced leave. Meanwhile, the Bombay University and College teachers’ Union (BUCTU) has termed Deshmukh’s sacking as a step too little, too late. Aaditya Thackeray, whose students’ wing Yuva Sena has been actively opposing Deshmukh’s moves for long, said there should not be any mistakes in appointing an able VC for the university now.