MDU V-C resigns day before 'Make in India' conference

The vice-chancellor of the Maharishi Dayanand University (MDU), Harswarop Singh Chahal, has resigned from his post, a day before he would deliver the presidential address during the national conference on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious 'Make in India' campaign at the university.

Appointed v-c by former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government on August 1, 2013, Chahal's tenure was ending in 2016.

"Yes I have submitted my resignation to the governor," Chahal told the HT, but said he did not know whether the governor accepted the resignation or not.

Chahal said he took the decision "due to personal reasons", but sources say the only reason likely seems to be the change in the government.

They say the new BJP government that came to power last year wants to install its "own man" as the varsity head.

The decision has come as a shock to the MDU management who will now have to quickly arrange for an alternative head to share the dais with finance minister Capt Abhimanyu during the conference on Saturday.

However, sources said Chahal would still get to deliver the address as there's still no news that his resignation has been accepted.