The Ministry of Education (MoE) on Monday appointed professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit of Savitribai Phule Pune University, Maharashtra as the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. The 59-year-old Pandit will hold the tenure for a period of five years.
Pandit, who is an an alumna of JNU where she pursued her MPhil as well as PhD in International Relations, is currently the Vice Chancellor of Savitribai Phule University in Maharashtra.
"President Ram Nath Kovind, who is Visitor to the University, has approved the appointment of Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit as JNU Vice Chancellor. Her appointment is for a period of five years," a senior MoE official said.
Pandit began her teaching career from Goa University in 1988 and moved to Pune University in 1993. She has held administrative position in various academic bodies. She has also been a member of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and Visitor's nominee to central universities. In her career she has guided 29 PhDs.
Meanwhile, M Jagadesh Kumar, who was holding the charge of acting VC at JNU after his five year term ended last year, was last week appointed as the chairman of the UGC.
The Ministry of Education said that Kumar has been appointed as the chairman of the higher education regulator for a period of five years. The post of the UGC chairman fell vacant on December 7 after Prof D P Singh, who had taken charge in 2018, resigned upon turning 65. The post of the vice-chairman of the higher education regulator is also vacant.
"The Central government has appointed M Jagadesh Kumar as UGC Chairman for a period of five years or till he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is the earliest," a senior MoE official said. Sixty-year-old Kumar is currently holding the charge as acting VC of the varsity after his five-year term expired last year. The ministry is yet to appoint his successor at JNU.
