LAHORE: Governor Balighur Rehman has written a letter to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz asking her to make permanent appointments to important posts, including vice chancellors (VCs) in universities, across the province.

In the letter, the governor said that appointments to the statutory posts were not made on time in the universities across Punjab.

“The most important positions of the universities, including VCs, registrar, treasurers, and controllers of examinations, have been lying vacant,” he said.

At least 29 public sector universities are currently operating without regular VCs, creating a host of academic and administrative issues.

The academic staff associations of the universities also have voiced concern over the situation, stating that the lack of permanent leadership is compromising the standards of education and research.

The Punjab Higher Education Department, which administers 34 public universities in the province, has seen the tenure of regular VCs at 22 universities expire more than a year ago. Additionally, the government has established three new universities that also require the appointment of VCs.

This lapse in statutory tenures has left these universities without VCs, disrupting core functions such as academic processes, administrative controls, decision-making, and financial management. Currently, these universities are being run by pro-VCs or VCs on an additional or acting charge basis.

Earlier, the caretaker government of Mohsin Naqvi had issued advertisements for the vacant posts of VCs and according to the advertisement, the age limit for applicants was 65 years, and the last date for application submission was May 5, 2023.

The interim government had also constituted search committees for interviewing the candidates for the posts. The process remained incomplete as the matter was challenged in court that the interim government could not hire VCs under the law.

Sources claimed that HED officers were reluctant to re-advertise the posts and wanted to fill them based on the previous advertisement.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2024