Srinagar, Oct 5, KDC: Kashmir’s highest chair of learning, the University of Kashmir, is facing grave administrative paralysis for the last two years owing to failure of its authorities to fill up the vacant administrative positions, including the key position of Registrar which has fallen vacant in February 2022 despite the post being advertised six months ago.
According to University teachers, all recruitment processes have come to a grinding halt in the University due to delay in filling up the vacant post of Registrar which was formally advertised on January 10 this year. For the last nearly two years, the post of Registrar has been held as an adhoc arrangement by Joint Registrar, Dr Nisar Ahmad Mir, whose three-year term as Registrar ended in February 2022.
“There is complete administrative anarchy prevailing in the Administrative Block,” a senior KU professor, wishing anonymity, told Srinagar based news agency Kashmir Dot Com (KDC). He said recruitment processes in case of teachers or officers are not moving beyond issuance of advertisement notifications due to administrative inefficiency which has plagued the Varsity owing to this adhoc arrangement at the top.
“It seems these advertisement notices are being issued just to keep applicants busy with the process. In May this year the Vice Chancellor Professor Neelofer Khan went on record saying in media that the post of Registrar will be filled up by end of July, but she is yet to answer why she continues with this temporary arrangement which has derailed the whole functioning of the Administration Block,” said another Senior Professor, adding that even the previously-withdrawn advertisements for recruitment of vacant positions of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor were not being issued afresh owing to “administrative inefficiency due to top-level adhocism.”
Insiders in the University are raising questions as to how a Joint Registrar-rank officer is being allowed to continue as in-charge Registrar despite himself being an applicant for the post of Registrar advertised in January 2023.
“This is a clear case of conflict of interest which should have been taken note of by the Chancellor’s office as well as the Vice-Chancellor. The day the post of Registrar was advertised, the Vice Chancellor should have asked the Registrar to step aside due to conflict of interest,” said the professor quoted above. He said there are allegations that the post of Registrar is not being filled up due to a deliberate dilly-dallying tactic adopted by the Recruitment Section on directions of the in-charge Registrar, thus confirming the conflict of interest allegations.
Some teacher applicants for the post of Registrar have already voiced concern over delay in filling up the post, saying the same was being done “on one pretext or the other to facilitate illegal continuation of the in-charge Registrar.”
“In May this year, we were told that the interview for the post of Registrar will be held after the Y20 event concludes. Now we are told it will be done after the annual Convocation concludes this month. This is all a dilly-dallying tactic,” they have alleged.
It is also being alleged that the post is not being advertised owing to alleged political influence being exerted by the in-charge Registrar, who is battling allegations of financial irregularities in large-scale constructions which have taken place in the University’s various campuses ever since his appointment. Some serious allegations, including doubtful character antecedents, are being probed by investigating agencies for the last many months, according to sources.
The insiders have demanded Chancellor’s personal intervention in getting the already-advertised post of Registrar filled up without any delay “to safeguard the University from further administrative decay.”
“We also appeal to the Honourable Chancellor, Manoj Sinha to immediately end this conflict of interest and have the interim Registrar while having the interview for the post expedited on priority,” said the varsity teachers.
Interestingly many teachers are highly arguing how the continuation of Registrar could be beyond three years when the term of the VC of the University is only three years. (KDC)
