The Central University of Kashmir has got a regular vice-chancellor over a year after interviews were held, reflecting the government’s indecision and unusual delay in making key appointments to academic institutions.

With the approval of the Visitor, the President, the ministry of education has issued an appointment letter to Prof. A. Ravindranath, who has served as a faculty member of Osmania University, as the new VC of the Central University of Kashmir (CUK).

CUK in Ganderbal district was being helmed by an in-charge VC at a time when the institution needed a regular VC to take forward the establishment of a full-fledged campus that would have hostels. For the first 10 years, CUK did not have a regular campus as the government delayed in finalising a site for the construction.

CUK was established in 2009 to provide quality higher education to students of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the institution has failed to attract the best students because of the lack of hostels.

Its founding VC, Prof. Abdul Wahid, said top students preferred to take admission to other institutions in Jammu and Kashmir because CUK does not have hostels.

“It is good that a regular VC has been appointed. The university badly needed a new VC. The appointment was made very late. The delay is unusual,” Wahid said.

He said a regular VC would have taken the initiative and supervised the development projects at the university and appointed regular faculty.

A government official said the interviews for the VC were held in December 2021. Usually, the appointments are made within two weeks of the interviews. The Union education ministry carries out the process.

Ravindranath told The Telegraph that he would prepare a road map for spearheading infrastructure projects at the university.

“My priority will be the creation of infrastructure and the implementation of the National Education Policy. I will review the progress every three months and take necessary steps to continue the development work,” he said.