Food for thoughts on 'Thoughts on MU strategies'

YLK Khuman *

Rally demanding to remove Vice Chancellor of Manipur University on 30 June 2018 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

As the long drawn out impasse in the Manipur University is passing through the most crucial phase with the emergence of possible recipes for a solution in the horizon, there also is increased entropy (disorder) adding more confusion to the already confused atmosphere.

While some are innocuous permutation of possible bids for a plausible solution, some others appear to be deliberate attempts to divert the focus of the present movement to triviality when it comes to what would happen if the present Vice Chancellor is to go on a (forced) leave.

The Manipur University Act 2005 in no uncertain terms spells out the steps to be followed as and when the Vice Chancellor is unable to discharge his duty because of his absence or otherwise in Clause 2 Para 6 of the Act:
2.(6) If the office of the Vice-Chancellor becomes vacant due to death, resignation or otherwise, or if he is unable to perform his duties due to ill-health or any other cause, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor shall perform the duties of the Vice-Chancellor: (incomplete)

On the basis of the above cited incomplete clause, many including the editorial of a media house, perhaps purposely, are offering unsolicited (ill) advice especially to the striking teachers' community, MUTA to succumb to the appointment of a Pro-Vice Chancellor to normalize the functioning of the University in case the present Vice Chancellor is to go on a long leave.

In this connection, MUTA would like to politely draw their kind attention (especially to those who choose to remain blind to it) to the proviso that immediately follows the Clause 2(6), which is reproduced here below:
'Provided that if the Pro-Vice-Chancellor is not available, the senior most Professor shall perform the duties of the Vice-Chancellor until a new Vice-Chancellor assumes office or the existing Vice-Chancellor resumes the duties of his office, as the case may be.' (Clause 2(6) completed).

Since no Pro-Vice Chancellor has been appointed since the joining of the present Vice Chancellor, there is currently no Pro-Vice Chancellor in Manipur University. '

Hence, the first part of the Clause 2(6) cannot be the operative part but the proviso that follows, which in no uncertain terms states that the senior most Professor of the University must be entrusted with the responsibility of performing the duties of the Vice Chancellor until the present Vice Chancellor resumes his office on exoneration of the charges levelled against him or a new Vice Chancellor is appointed.

The silly self-righteous notion that the senior most Professor would become the Pro-Vice Chancellor is as naïve as stating that the senior most Cabinet Minister would assume the office of the Chief Minister in his absence due to illness or otherwise.

As and when the present Vice Chancellor is asked to go on a leave which he has not applied for, the Manipur University Act 2005 is clear and unambiguous that the office of the Vice Chancellor must necessarily be entrusted to the senior most Professor without giving an opportunity for appointment of a Pro-Vice Chancellor by the Vice Chancellor himself before proceeding on the leave.

The lobby for the appointment of a Pro-Vice Chancellor at this juncture needs to come out of their myopic world before they become squint, too.

The appointment for the Pro-Vice Chancellor is also clearly laid out in the Manipur University Act 2005 under the Clause 4(1), which states that, 'Pro-Vice Chancellor. - (1) The Pro-Vice-Chancellor shall be appointed by the Executive Council on the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor:(more proviso follows).

This makes it amply clear that the appointment of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor is on the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor and he has the liberty and the arbitrariness of recommending any person of his choice without the consideration of seniority, merit, etc.

It is simply a question of both propriety and morality if a Vice-Chancellor, who is asked to go on leave because a fact finding committee is going to look into the allegations levelled against him, is allowed to recommend someone to be the Prof-Vice-Chancellor prior to his going on a long leave. This would simply be against the spirit of the Act.