Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The selection process for the next Vice-Chancellor of the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Awantipora, has entered a crucial stage following interactions with shortlisted candidates in New Delhi, with the final appointment still awaited.
Sources familiar with the process said around 80 applications were received after the Higher Education Department issued a fresh advertisement for the post in September, with September 24 as the last date for submission. The selection committee shortlisted 18 candidates for interactions held in New Delhi on October 31 and November 1. The field is understood to have since narrowed to four or five candidates, although there is no official confirmation of the final panel or of any appointment.
The four-member committee is headed by Prof. Mohammad Miyan, former Vice-Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University. Its other members are Prof. Kumud Sharma, Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, Wardha; Prof. Pankaj Chandra, Vice-Chancellor of Ahmedabad University; and Prof. Subeer S. Majumdar, Director General of Gujarat Biotechnology University.
The process is being conducted under the J&K Islamic University of Science and Technology Act, 2005, and applicable statutory provisions. The advertised criteria require candidates to have at least 10 years of experience as a professor, along with the prescribed academic and leadership credentials. The upper age limit was set at 65 years on the closing date of applications.
According to the sources, the shortlisted candidates will undergo the required security and antecedent clearances through the concerned departments. After that, the Chancellor, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, will interact with candidates as part of the final selection.
Prof. Shakil Ahmad Romshoo’s tenure as Vice-Chancellor concluded in August. An order subsequently allowed him to continue until a successor assumes charge, meaning the university has been functioning under an extended arrangement while the search continues.
The appointment is being watched closely in academic circles because IUST is among the Valley’s prominent public universities, and its leadership shapes research, academic planning and administration for a large student community. A prolonged selection can leave key decisions pending, which is why many stakeholders are hoping for a timely announcement once clearances are complete.
The composition of the committee, which includes vice-chancellors and heads of institutions from different parts of the country, reflects an effort to draw on wide academic experience. Until an official notification is issued, the identity of the finalists and the timeline for the appointment remain unclear, and the reported narrowing of the list should be treated as unconfirmed.
