LAHORE, Dec 31: Punjab government’s Search Committee for the selection of vice chancellors for two agriculture universities is all set to interview 28 short-listed candidates on Tuesday (today) amid the controversy that almost half of the candidates are either non-agrarians or third divisioners.

It is learnt that 28 short-listed candidates belong to several institutions in the country and have varied academic backgrounds.

Many of the 14 agrarian applicants have a strong feeling that only candidates holding basic degrees in agriculture should be appointed vice-chancellors to two agricultural universities in Punjab.

They argue that it is fair to appoint doctors to head medical institutions, engineers to head engineering institutions and lawyers to law colleges. They also say that even veterinarians have the claim to head the only veterinary university in the province.

Similarly, they assert, agriculture universities are unique and they are better understood by agrarians.

Applicants have objected to short-listing of two third divisioners, questioning Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s merit policy. They claimed that a third divisioner was appointed vice-chancellor in the past and the appointment was challenged in the Lahore High Court. The writ has been admitted by the court and is pending adjudication.

They stated that Higher Education Commission statutes recommended that no one having a third division in his/her career could be appointed to an academic position of even lecturer or assistant professor. As such, they said, appointment of a third divisioner as a VC could send a wrong message to the academia and students.

It may be mentioned that a question was also raised in the Punjab Assembly and the government had assured the house that no one with a third division would be appointed as vice-chancellor.

Punjab government’s Search Committee, headed by Beaconhouse National University Vice-Chancellor Sartaj Aziz, consists of LUMS Pro-Chancellor Syed Babar Ali, University of Engineering and Technology Vice-Chancellor Akram Khan, Punjab Agriculture Minister Ahmad Ali Aulakh and the agriculture secretary. The committee would select a panel of three candidates each for the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, and Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif would select one candidate from the three recommended by the search committee. The Punjab governor, who is chancellor of universities, is bound to act on the advice of the chief minister for the appointment of vice-chancellors.