Bihar Governor restrains registrars appointed by predecessor
“The functioning of all the registrars appointed or shifted by the given notifications from the Raj Bhawan, dated February 13 and February 15, 2023, is stayed with immediate effect. The compliance of the order must be ensured,” said a Raj Bhawan letter signed by Robert L Chongthu, principal secretary to the Governor.
Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Achlekar on Saturday restrained with immediate effect the functioning of all the registrars appointed by his predecessor and incumbent Meghalaya Governor Phagu Chouhan after the notification was issued by the Rashtrapati Bhawan about the appointment and shifting of Governors last month.
“The functioning of all the registrars appointed or shifted by the given notifications from the Raj Bhawan, dated February 13 and February 15, 2023, is stayed with immediate effect. The compliance of the order must be ensured,” said a Raj Bhawan letter signed by Robert L Chongthu, principal secretary to the Governor.
The letter has been addressed to the vice chancellors of Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University, Veer Kurt Singh University (Ara), Munger University, Pataliputra University, Patna University and Maulana Mazharul Haq Arabic and Persian University, where the new appointments were made.
Before leaving for Meghalaya to assume charge as Governor, Chouhan had carried out a number of appointments.
Abhyanand Sinha, associate professor at Government Degree College, Rajgir (Nalanda), was appointed registrar of Patliputra University, Patna.
Dr Ved Prakash Chaturvedi, principal, S Sinha College, Aurangabad, was appointed to the post of registrar of Magadh University at Bodh Gaya with immediate effect until further orders. MU was hitherto under the additional charge of JP University (Chapra) registrar.
In Munger University, Dr C K Mishra, associate professor, Department of English, Purnea College, was appointed registrar with immediate effect, relieving the incumbent Pushpendra Kumar Verma from the post.
In another reshuffle, Patna University registrar Col Kamesh Kumar was shifted to MMH Arabic & Persian University (Patna) after “due consideration of the proposal submitted by the vice-chancellor, Patna University”.
The registrar of MMH Arabic & Persian University, Rabindra Nath Ojha, was transferred to Patna University.
All the new incumbents also assumed charge and started functioning.
The stay on the functioning of the registrars has created a flutter in the academic circles in the state, where appointments to key varsity positions have always raised a lot of controversy. This is, perhaps, the first time that registrars of so many universities have been restrained from functioning within a month of their appointment.
Several local BJP leaders were critical of the way varsity appointments were made during Chouhan’s tenure and had reportedly met Achlekar to apprise him of the situation in varsities. Chouhan had also appointed vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor at Magadh University in consultation with chief minister Nitish Kumar after his shifting was notified and before he left to assume charge.
In another development, Raj Bhawan has given additional charge of vice chancellor of BRA Bihar University in Muzaffarpur to Shailendra Kumar Chaturvedi, the vice chancellor of Veer Kunwar Singh University, Ara, though he has been directed not to take any policy decision without the approval of Chancellor as a purely temporary arrangement. This was done after the term of BRA Bihar University VC, Hanuman Prasad Pandey, ended on Saturday.
