
PU colleges get five new principals through lucky draw
The new incumbents posted in different colleges of PU through a lottery draw include Nagendra Prasad Verma, a history teacher of Jai Prakash University, Chapra at Magadh Mahila College; Anil Kumar, a chemistry teacher from a UP college at Patna College; Alaka Yadav of Mahila College, Hajipur at Patna Science College and Magadh Mahila College home science teacher Suheli Mehta at Vanijya Mahavidyalay. The fifth candidate, Yogendra Kumar Varma of Patna Law College was posted as principal of the same college.
All the five incumbents were earlier selected as principals on the recommendation of the Bihar State University Service Commission (BSUSC) following consideration of their academic qualifications and interview. Ordinarily, the posting of a principal in a college is done by the vice-chancellor of the university concerned.
However, on the complaints of alleged foul play in posting of principals in some universities, governor-cum-chancellor Arif Mohammed Khan, ordered that the posing of BSUSC-recommended candidates would be done through a lottery system under the supervision of a three-member committee, headed by the vice-chancellor of the university concerned and consisting of the chancellor's representative.
A selected candidate had even challenged this order in the Patna high court, but withdrew the petition later.
In case of posting of principals in PU colleges, it was finalised by a three-member committee consisting of PU vice-chancellor
Ajay Kumar Singh
, registrar Shalini and chancellor's representative Rahmat Jahan. The notification of these postings would be issued in a day or two, said PU sources.
Some senior academics, however, maintained that the posting of principals in single faculty colleges should not have been done arbitrarily through lottery.
Otherwise, a teacher of home science would certainly face difficulties in managing an institution of commerce and how would a chemistry teacher administer an institution specialising in humanities and social sciences, they asked.
Notably, PU colleges will get principals recommended by the university service commission after a gap of about 15 years.
Patna: In an unprecedented move, five constituent colleges of Patna University (PU) on Wednesday got their new principals not on the basis of their merit or qualifications but through a lucky draw.
The new incumbents posted in different colleges of PU through a lottery draw include Nagendra Prasad Verma, a history teacher of Jai Prakash University, Chapra at Magadh Mahila College; Anil Kumar, a chemistry teacher from a UP college at Patna College; Alaka Yadav of Mahila College, Hajipur at Patna Science College and Magadh Mahila College home science teacher Suheli Mehta at Vanijya Mahavidyalay. The fifth candidate, Yogendra Kumar Varma of Patna Law College was posted as principal of the same college.
All the five incumbents were earlier selected as principals on the recommendation of the Bihar State University Service Commission (BSUSC) following consideration of their academic qualifications and interview. Ordinarily, the posting of a principal in a college is done by the vice-chancellor of the university concerned.
However, on the complaints of alleged foul play in posting of principals in some universities, governor-cum-chancellor Arif Mohammed Khan, ordered that the posing of BSUSC-recommended candidates would be done through a lottery system under the supervision of a three-member committee, headed by the vice-chancellor of the university concerned and consisting of the chancellor's representative.
A selected candidate had even challenged this order in the Patna high court, but withdrew the petition later.
In case of posting of principals in PU colleges, it was finalised by a three-member committee consisting of PU vice-chancellor Ajay Kumar Singh, registrar Shalini and chancellor's representative Rahmat Jahan. The notification of these postings would be issued in a day or two, said PU sources.
Some senior academics, however, maintained that the posting of principals in single faculty colleges should not have been done arbitrarily through lottery. Otherwise, a teacher of home science would certainly face difficulties in managing an institution of commerce and how would a chemistry teacher administer an institution specialising in humanities and social sciences, they asked.
Notably, PU colleges will get principals recommended by the university service commission after a gap of about 15 years.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
Task force for well-being of students unveils portal
The National Task Force (NTF) constituted by the Supreme Court to address student suicides and mental well-being in higher education institutions on Friday (August 8, 2025) launched a website hosting five surveys to gather inputs from stakeholders, including students, parents, faculty, mental health professionals, and members of the public. The NTF was set up earlier this year in the context of student suicides across premier institutions, after parents of several students who had died by suicide — including those of IIT Delhi's Ayush Ashna and Anil Kumar, both from Scheduled Caste backgrounds — approached the court seeking directions on caste discrimination, institutional support mechanisms, and administrative responses. The petitioners also included the families of Dalit students Rohith Vemula (2016) and Payal Tadvi (2019). The court constituted the task force in March. Members of the NTF told The Hindu that the panel is conducting institute visits, stakeholder and expert meetings, alongside the newly launched surveys. One member said the NTF had so far visited six institutes in Delhi and Bengaluru, including AIIMS, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Ramjas College, the Indian Institute of Science, and Bangalore Medical College. On future visits, the member said, 'The NTF will also visit private universities. There are over 50,000 institutes across the country. It is not possible to visit all of them. The task force is yet to decide on whether to visit institutes like IITs, given that the incidents in those institutes have already been investigated by multiple committees.' The 12-member NTF is headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ravindra Bhat, with experts in development studies, psychiatry, and civil society, and the Joint Secretary of Higher Education as Convener. Secretaries of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Education, Social Justice, Health, Women and Child Development, and the Department of Legal Affairs are ex-officio members. Its mandate includes identifying 'predominant' causes of student suicides - including ragging, discrimination, academic pressure, financial burden, and stigma around mental health - analysing existing regulations to assess institutional and systemic shortcomings, and recommending steps to improve student mental health and prevent suicides. An NTF member said that during visits, the panel holds interactions with all stakeholder groups, including closed-door sessions with students to enable them to share grievances freely. The surveys, available at include separate questionnaires for students, parents, institutional representatives, mental health professionals, and the public. The site, accessible in English and Hindi, also provides student support resources with helpline numbers and a platform for institutes to share data. While the matter was being heard, the University Grants Commission issued a draft regulation for promoting equity and addressing discrimination on campuses, after petitioners argued that the 2012 regulations were inadequate. Following the draft's release, the petitioners submitted that the 2025 version diluted earlier provisions. The court permitted the UGC to proceed with the notification process, noting that the NTF's mandate covered the subject and that the regulation could be amended based on the task force's recommendations, if required. An interim report is expected in September, following which the NTF is scheduled to submit the final report by the end of this year. Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies could also seek help from Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health suicide prevention by calling 011-40769002 or any of the numbers found in this link.


The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
National Task Force to address discrimination and student suicides in universities; launches surveys, website
The National Task Force (NTF) constituted by the Supreme Court to address student suicides and mental well-being in higher education institutions on Friday (August 8, 2025) launched a website hosting five surveys to gather inputs from stakeholders, including students, parents, faculty, mental health professionals, and members of the public. The NTF was set up earlier this year in the context of student suicides across premier institutions, after parents of several students who had died by suicide — including those of IIT Delhi's Ayush Ashna and Anil Kumar, both from Scheduled Caste backgrounds — approached the court seeking directions on caste discrimination, institutional support mechanisms, and administrative responses. The petitioners also included the families of Dalit students Rohith Vemula (2016) and Payal Tadvi (2019). The court constituted the task force in March. Members of the NTF told The Hindu that the panel is conducting institute visits, stakeholder and expert meetings, alongside the newly launched surveys. One member said the NTF had so far visited six institutes in Delhi and Bengaluru, including AIIMS, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Ramjas College, the Indian Institute of Science, and Bangalore Medical College. On future visits, the member said, 'The NTF will also visit private universities. There are over 50,000 institutes across the country. It is not possible to visit all of them. The task force is yet to decide on whether to visit institutes like IITs, given that the incidents in those institutes have already been investigated by multiple committees.' The 12-member NTF is headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ravindra Bhat, with experts in development studies, psychiatry, and civil society, and the Joint Secretary of Higher Education as Convener. Secretaries of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Education, Social Justice, Health, Women and Child Development, and the Department of Legal Affairs are ex-officio members. Its mandate includes identifying 'predominant' causes of student suicides - including ragging, discrimination, academic pressure, financial burden, and stigma around mental health - analysing existing regulations to assess institutional and systemic shortcomings, and recommending steps to improve student mental health and prevent suicides. An NTF member said that during visits, the panel holds interactions with all stakeholder groups, including closed-door sessions with students to enable them to share grievances freely. The surveys, available at include separate questionnaires for students, parents, institutional representatives, mental health professionals, and the public. The site, accessible in English and Hindi, also provides student support resources with helpline numbers and a platform for institutes to share data. While the matter was being heard, the University Grants Commission issued a draft regulation for promoting equity and addressing discrimination on campuses, after petitioners argued that the 2012 regulations were inadequate. Following the draft's release, the petitioners submitted that the 2025 version diluted earlier provisions. The court permitted the UGC to proceed with the notification process, noting that the NTF's mandate covered the subject and that the regulation could be amended based on the task force's recommendations, if required. An interim report is expected in September, following which the NTF is scheduled to submit the final report by the end of this year. Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies could also seek help from Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health suicide prevention by calling 011-40769002 or any of the numbers found in this link.


NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
Bihar BJP Renews Attack On Prashant Kishor For 2020 Election Campaign Data 'Theft'
Patna: BJP's Bihar unit spokesperson Danish Eqbal on Thursday renewed the attack on Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor for the 2020 election data "theft". The case pertains to the alleged theft and misuse of election campaign data and intellectual property from a Congress member. Eqbal, addressing the media and also releasing a video statement, said: "Prashant Kishor has been exposed. Those who preach morality are themselves involved in serious crimes under IPC Sections 467, 468, 471, 420, 406 and 120B. These are charges of forgery, fraud, and conspiracy. In Patliputra PS Case No. 94/2020, his role resembles that of a professional criminal." Eqbal further attacked Kishor, accusing him of misleading the public with his "Baat Bihar Ki" campaign, which he claimed was based on stolen content. "The people of Bihar now recognise these masked leaders. They are not leaders, but thieves," he said. Eqbal also shared the document related to the case. The case was filed by Congress worker Shashwat Gautam on February 25, 2020, alleging that he had been developing an election campaign titled 'Bihar Ki Baat' at his Patliputra Colony office. The campaign involved data collection, strategy planning, graphic design, and branding, all of which were reportedly stored on an office laptop. Gautam alleged that Osama Khurshid, a volunteer who had previously contested Patna University elections on a JD(U) ticket, came to the office and took the laptop containing the data. While the laptop was later returned, Gautam claimed the data was misused. According to the FIR, Prashant Kishor launched a similar campaign named 'Baat Bihar Ki' on February 18, 2020, allegedly using the stolen materials. The domain for Kishor's campaign was registered on February 16, just two days before its public announcement. The complainant accused Kishor and Khurshid of conspiring to misappropriate intellectual property. The anticipatory bail application for Prashant Kishor was filed during the COVID-19 pandemic under relaxed procedural rules. The case is pending before the Court of Sub Judge XII-cum-ACJM, Patna. Kishor's lawyer, Arun Kumar, argued that his client is innocent, has no criminal antecedents, and was falsely implicated for political reasons. Kishor's lawyer emphasised that the data allegedly stolen was publicly available and multiple similar domain names had been registered in recent months, weakening exclusivity claims. Kishor is a professional election strategist, and any resemblance in campaign themes is coincidental or a result of standard practices in the industry. It was also submitted that Osama Khurshid, not Kishor, was directly accused of taking the data. When approached for comment, a senior Jan Suraaj official and media coordinator declined to respond to the allegations. "Prashant Kishor will answer on this matter in the future," he said.