Bhopal, June 19 (IANS) In a significant administrative development, Madhya Pradesh Governor and Chancellor Mangubhai Patel has accepted the resignation of Prof S.K. Jain as Vice-Chancellor of Barkatullah University (BU), Bhopal.

The Governor has simultaneously entrusted Prof Vivek Sharma, Dean of the Faculty of Management, with the additional responsibility of Acting Vice-Chancellor until a permanent successor is appointed. The decision was formalised on Friday through an order issued by Raj Bhavan.

Prof Jain had submitted his resignation on June 18, which was promptly accepted the following day. Exercising powers under the Madhya Pradesh Universities Act, 1973, the Chancellor directed Prof Sharma to take over the additional charge with immediate effect.

In his interim role, Prof Sharma will oversee both the administrative and academic functioning of the university. The order specifies that he will discharge the duties of Vice-Chancellor in an acting capacity until the state government completes the process of appointing a regular Vice-Chancellor.

This arrangement aims to ensure there is no administrative vacuum at the institution during the transition period. Notably, the reasons behind Prof Jain’s resignation have not been officially disclosed.

The development has drawn attention across higher education circles in Madhya Pradesh, with stakeholders keenly awaiting the appointment of a new full-time Vice-Chancellor to provide long-term leadership to the university.

Barkatullah University, a prominent state university in Bhopal, plays a vital role in higher education, offering numerous undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programmes. The smooth handover of responsibilities is expected to maintain continuity in academic activities and ongoing administrative decisions.

Recently, the government decided to drop “Barkatullah” from its name and rename it Bagdevi Bhojpal University. As the search for a new Vice-Chancellor begins, the focus remains on ensuring that the institution continues its academic momentum without interruption.

This change in leadership marks an important transition for Barkatullah University as it moves forward under new interim stewardship.

–IANS

sktr/dan