Gaya: With only two days left before the end of the current financial year, Magadh University has yet to pass its annual budget as the posts of vice-chancellor and pro-vice chancellor have remained vacant for nearly six weeks.The post of vice-chancellor fell vacant on Feb 14, 2026. A week later, the post of pro-vice chancellor also became vacant following the completion of the three-year tenures of S P Shahi and B K Sinha, respectively.According to university insiders, the uncertainty could not have come at a worse time as the budget for the financial year 2026-27 has yet to be approved by the University Senate. Several major financial and administrative initiatives are also pending, including the complete migration of the university’s administrative, academic and financial work to the Samarth portal.Expressing concern over the prolonged vacancies, Kanhaiya Bahadur, president of the Federation of University Teachers Association of Bihar, said delays in filling top posts could create serious problems.“Uncertainty leads to chaos and anarchy and as such the vacancies should be filled at the earliest and all this must be done in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with the UGC guidelines and SC rulings in the matter,” he said.Magadh University registrar Binod Kumar Mangalam maintained that the university’s functioning remained normal as the chancellor’s office had directed the outgoing vice chancellor to continue until a regular appointment was made.On the budget issue, the registrar said the delay in its passage by the Syndicate and Senate was not a serious concern.“The non-passage of the budget by Syndicate and Senate is not a big issue as an advance copy of the budget has already been sent to the govt and the passage of the budget is now just a formality,” he said.Former Magadh University vice chancellor Qamar Ahsan said running the university had always been challenging.“Administering MU is a most challenging job as the university’s exam system was rotten. Degree scandals have rocked MU many a time,” he said.In 2018, the Higher Education Commission of Thailand, a statutory body of the Thai govt, rejected 40 PhD degrees awarded by the university to Thai students citing “sub-standard and other academic anomalies”, most of them linked to the department of Buddhist studies and ancient history.The university has also faced controversies in the past with several former vice-chancellors jailed on criminal charges.
