VC sitting on search panel raises conflict of interest concerns, expert says

Shivamogga

Noted agro-economist and member of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission TN Prakash Kammardi has raised serious objections to the appointment of the incumbent Vice-Chancellor Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru (KSNUAHS), Shivamogga.

The Ministry of Agriculture, through a notification dated May 14, constituted a search committee to recommend a panel of eligible candidates for the post of KSNUAHS Vice-Chancellor, Shivamogga. The committee is chaired by Dr. SV Suresh, Vice-Chancellor, UAS, Bengaluru. Its members include prof. M. Krishnan, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Neelakudi Campus, Thiruvarur; and Prof. Sita Prasad Tiwari, Former Vice-Chancellor, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Sciences University, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The Director General of ICAR, New Delhi is also a member and the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture serves as the Convener.

In a letter to the Minister of Agriculture Dr. Kammardi argued that appointing an acting vice-chancellor to head such a commission raises serious questions about the credibility of the academic selection process. “While the appointment may be technically valid, it clearly violates basic standards of academic autonomy, ethics and impartial governance,” he said.

Citing the UGC Regulations 2018 and the ICAR Model Act, he noted that the chairman of the search committee should maintain at least ten years’ distance from the sister institutions and should be a nationally recognized scientist or educationalist who is completely independent of the local government and university system. “In this case, the chairman is the acting vice-chancellor and is actually part of the administrative establishment. It is possible that he knew or worked with some of the applicants, leading to a clear conflict of interest,” he told The Hindu.

Dr. Kammardi noted that this may have been the first time in the state that a sitting vice chancellor has been appointed to a search committee for another university. He said the move was likely to raise questions in academia and among the public. Urged Dr. Suresh to set a precedent by voluntarily stepping down from the role while urging the government to reconsider its decision.

Published – 31 May 2026 13:55 IST