UoP registrar to exit office on August 29

It is official. Registrar of University of Pune (UoP) Dr Manik Jadhav will be is leaving the university on August 29, four months in advance before his tenure ends officially.

With Jadhav's exit, year 2012 will become a significant year in the varsity's history as the top four positions in the university - Vice-Chancellor (V-C), Controller of Examination (CoE), Board and College Development (BCUD) director and Registrar - will have new faces.

The university has started its search for new a Registrar and uploaded an official advertisement on its website on Saturday. The final date for sending applications is September 10. Except for the (BCUD) director, all the three top officials had been in the limelight for wrong reasons.

Goodbye: Dr Manik Jadhav

It started with the exit of former V-C Dr Raghunath Shevgaonkar in September 2011. He decided vacate the chair in just one-and-a-half year after he was offered the director's post in IIT Delhi. Allegations were levelled against Shevgaonkar that he used the V-C's post as a stepping stone.

Dr W N Gade took over from Shevgaonkar on May 16. Former CoE Dr Shivaji Ahire had to resign after police busted a bogus marksheet racket and arrested two officials from the exam department. Dr Ahire went on a long leave and the administration transferred him to another department.

Following Dr Ahires' transfer Dr Sampada Joshi was appointed as the new CoE. In the last four years, Dr Jadhav too faced criticism and was accused of observing malpractices in recruitment of non-teaching staff. Though his critics failed to prove any of the allegations, the issue was raised at the recent management council meeting by a former official.

"Registrar's duties and responsibilities are clearly mentioned in the State University Act of 1994. I have completed my tenure as a Registrar by following this act till now. In non-teaching recruitment scam I was the person who launched the official police complaint. Former V-C Dr Shevgaokar had also cleared that this matter was closed," Dr Jadhav said.

On asked why he is was vacating the post before the completion of his tenure Dr Jadhav said he was offered the post of the principal of Balbhim College in Beed.

"I got an offer letter in May 2012. Still I preferred to stay in the university till August 2012. I officially submitted my resignation on July 23 and will be leaving on 29 August by serving one month's notice period," Dr Jadhav said.

Rumours were doing rounds that Dr Jadhav took the decision due to his bitter relation with current V-C Dr W N Gade. "All these are rumours. In fact, the V-C asked me to complete my tenure, which is till December 2012. It's only because I have given a commitment to Balbhim College authorities and that they are not willing to wait till December, I am leaving four months in advance," Dr Jadhav said.

Former V-C and senior educationalist Dr Arun Nigvekar said he had never seen such major changes in the last 30 years. "I don't recollect that UoP got new faces on these top posts simultaneously. This is an opportunity for the current V-C to get right people so that he can materialise future plan for the university."u00a0