Chandigarh: The search for Panjab University’s next vice-chancellor has moved to the interaction stage, with shortlisted candidates scheduled to appear before the search-cum-selection committee over multiple sittings beginning July 3.Sources familiar with the development said the candidates called for interactions include incumbent vice-chancellor Prof Renu Vig and several Panjab University faculty members.Sources also said a senior professor from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, has emerged as a significant contender in recent weeks and is being viewed as one of the stronger candidates in the race. The development has added another dimension to a contest that was initially seen as being dominated by candidates with strong Panjab University links.The interactions are expected to provide the clearest indication yet of who remains in contention for the post, with the committee assessing candidates on their academic credentials, administrative experience and vision for the university.While the process remains confidential, multiple sources indicated that the field includes a mix of internal and external candidates. Apart from Prof Vig, who is seeking a full term after receiving an extension till July 29, several Panjab University academics are learnt to have made it to the interaction stage.The vice-chancellor selection process has attracted considerable attention within academic circles, with stakeholders closely watching whether the university opts for continuity under the present leadership or brings in a new administrator from outside the campus.The three-member search-cum-selection committee, constituted by the chancellor earlier this year, is headed by Lt Gen (retd) Madhuri Kanitkar, vice-chancellor of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. The other members are Prof Shashikala Wanjari, vice-chancellor of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), and Prof Vibha Tandon, director of CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology.Following the scheduled interactions, the committee is expected to prepare a shortlist and recommend a panel of names to the chancellor for final appointment. While several frontrunners have emerged in academic discussions, officials maintain that the process remains open and that surprises cannot be ruled out until the final recommendations are made.
