DSNLU Visakhapatnam’s vice chancellor (VC) Prof RG Babu Bhagavath Kumar has exited from his post to make way for a new VC, after the order renewing his term was cancelled. The government has ordered the university to form a VC search committee.

Prof Kumar was appointed as the law school’s VC in 2011 for a three year term ending on 3 November 2014. Before his term ended, it was renewed by DSNLU chancellor Prof Dr A Lakshminath, in violation of the provisions of the DSNLU Act 2008, states the government order calling for the VC search committee.

But the order for renewal was cancelled after the state law department’s secretary wrote to DSNLU’s registrar on 3 November 2014, requested Dr Lakshminath to let Prof Kumar continue only until the university appointed a new regular VC. This kind of an extension is permitted under the provisions of the DSNLU Act.

Dr Lakshminath then granted Prof Kumar extension for one year, until 2 November 2015. On 2 November 2015 the Andhra government appointed Andhra University VC Prof GSN Raju as the acting VC at DSNLU. Raju will act as VC until a regular VC is appointed.

The VC search committee will consist of a state government nominee, a University Grants Commission (UGC) nominee and a nominee of DSNLU’s executive council, as per section 9 of the DSNLU Act 2008.

Prof Kumar’s predecessor Prof Y Satyanarayana was the first VC to be appointed at DSNLU which has had three-year official VC terms, unlike other NLUs, despite offering the five year LLB course.

DSNLU will run from its own campus in Sabbavaram even though the Andhra government has not yet released the Rs 20 crore it needs to complete its permanent campus, reported The Hindu. The university has been facing a fund crunch as it is not eligible for central funding until it moves into its own campus, and to move into its own campus it needs the state financial backing which is not yet forthcoming.