Ahmedabad: Gujarat govt on Monday appointed Vaibhav D Bhatt as the in charge vice-chancellor of Gujarat Technological University (GTU) after the three-year tenure of vice-chancellor Rajul Gajjar came to an end.
According to a notification issued by the education department, Bhatt, who is currently director of the School of Applied Sciences and Technology at GTU, has been given additional charge under Section 11(7) of the Gujarat Technological University Act, 2007. He will serve as in charge vice- chancellor until a regular appointment is made under the Act or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The appointment comes as the process of selecting a full-time vice-chancellor has not yet begun. Under the norms, a search committee is expected to be constituted around three months before the incumbent’s term ends. However, no such committee has been formed, delaying the appointment of a regular vice-chancellor and necessitating an interim arrangement.
University officials said the in charge VC will oversee day-to-day administration and ensure continuity in academic and administrative functions. Major policy decisions, however, are generally deferred until a regular VC takes charge.
Bhatt holds an MSc in Microbiology from Sardar Patel University and a PhD in Biotechnology. He also served as chief executive officer of GTU’s AIC-GISC Foundation from 2020 to 2022 before becoming director of the School of Applied Sciences and Technology.
Gajjar, who took charge in Aug 2023, was GTU’s first woman vice-chancellor. She had earlier served as vice-chancellor of the Indian Institute of Teacher Education and had held additional charge of GTU vice-chancellor for seven months in 2016.
Established in 2007, GTU is Gujarat’s largest technical university, with over 480 affiliated engineering, pharmacy, management and diploma institutes and more than four lakh students across the state.
