Eyebrows raised as panel headed by AMU acting V-C shortlists wife for post
One of the candidates, who did not make it to the list of five, has written a letter to the President,alleging violation of norms in the Executive Council meeting held on Monday.
AGRA A controversy has erupted over the process for the selection of the next vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). A panel headed by AMU’s acting vice-chancellor Mohammad Gulrez has picked his wife Naima Khatoon Gulrez among five candidates shortlisted for the V-C’s post, raising questions of conflict of interest.
If appointed, Prof Naima Khatoon will be the first woman to become vice-chancellor of AMU.
AMU’s Executive Council had on October 30 shortlisted five names including Prof Faizan Mustafa (vice-chancellor, Chanakya Law University, Patna, and former vice chancellor, National Law University, Hyderabad), Prof MU Rabbani (former dean, faculty of medicine, AMU); Prof Naima Khatoon (principal, Women’s College, AMU); Prof Furqan Qamar (former vice-chancellor, University of Rajasthan and first vice-chancellor, Central University of Himachal Pradesh) and Prof Qayyum Husain (vice-chancellor, cluster university, Srinagar, J&K).
The five names will now be sent to the university’s governing body, AMU Court, which will at its meeting on Monday finalise three probables for the prestigious post. The three names will then be sent to President Droupadi Murmu for selecting the V-C, a university spokesman said.
Prior to this, 20 names were nominated, of which five were shortlisted by the EC to be sent to the AMU court.
Prof Mujahid Baig, one of the candidates amongst 20 names, who did not make it to the list of five, has written a letter to President of India (who is also Visitor to the University), alleging violation of norms in the Executive Council meeting held on Monday.
He raised objection over AMU’s officiating V-C Prof Mohd Gulrez chairing the EC meeting during which the name of the latter’s wife and principal of Women College of AMU, Prof Naima Khatoon Gulrez found place in the panel of five names forwarded to the AMU Court.
“The AMU Act, Statutes and Executive Ordinance and the UGC Regulations 2018 should have been complied with. Acting V-C of AMU not only presided over the meeting, but also cast the decisive vote in favour of his wife, paving way for her inclusion in the panel in blatant violation of norms,” alleged Baig.
“The President of India has been apprised about such irregularities in the process of finalising names for the panel. It is President who has the final say in naming the new V-C of the university,” said Baig who is professor of medicine at the JN Medical College of AMU.
Baig said the AMU Court should ensure transparency in the selection of the new V-C and reconsider the five names.
Though efforts to contact Prof Mohd Gulrez over the issue went in vain, the AMU administration came up with its stand.
“There is nothing wrong in Prof Gulrez chairing the Executive Council meeting and voting during the shortlisting process as “in the eyes of law, husband and wife are legally independent,” a university spokesperson said.
“According to the Statutes of the university, the V-C is the chairman of the Executive Council. Therefore, Prof Mohammad Gulrez chaired the meeting of the EC on October 30,” he added.
