Uttarakhand: Governor-Nominated Members to Join Sports University Governing Council, Will Get These Powers

Uttarakhand: Governor-Nominated Members to be Included in the Sports University Governing Council, VC Appointment Criteria to Be Clarified

Dehradun: The Governor-nominated members will be included in the governing council of Uttarakhand’s first Sports University. Additionally, the criteria for the appointment of the university’s Vice-Chancellor (VC) will be clarified and the bill will be sent back to the Raj Bhawan for approval. According to Sports Minister Rekha Arya, the government will either send the bill to the Raj Bhawan through the ongoing Assembly session or through an ordinance, whichever comes first.

In August 2024, the state government presented the Uttarakhand State Sports University Bill on the second day of the Assembly’s monsoon session. The bill was sent to the Raj Bhawan for approval. The bill states that the Governor will be the Chancellor of the university, while the government will provide a corpus fund of ₹10 crore for the university. The bill also mentions that any proposals for honorary degrees or distinctions will require approval from the Chancellor, and that the Vice-Chancellor will be a full-time salaried officer of the university.

However, the bill did not mention the four members nominated by the Governor for the governing council. Due to the lack of clarity on the qualifications for the VC’s appointment, the Raj Bhawan raised objections and returned the bill without approval. After addressing these objections, the government will now send the bill back to the Raj Bhawan for approval.

Governing Council Members and Powers

The previously sent bill mentioned that the governing council would be the university’s chief executive body. It would include the Vice-Chancellor (ex-officio member), Secretary of Sports (ex-officio member), Director of Sports (ex-officio member), Secretary of Finance (ex-officio member), Secretary General of the Uttarakhand Olympic Association (ex-officio member), and other ex-officio members under the provisions of this Act. However, the bill did not mention the Governor-nominated members.

Powers of the Governing Council:

• Appoint faculty, staff, and equivalent employees based on the recommendations of selection committees.
• Oversee affiliation matters under the university.
• Handle all matters related to degrees, diplomas, and awards.
• Recommend the creation of academic and non-academic posts to the state and central governments.

The bill, addressing the issues of the appointment of nominated members to the governing council and the VC’s qualifications, has been returned by the Raj Bhawan and will be sent back for approval after the necessary clarifications.

— Rekha Arya, Sports Minister