Udaipur: Questions have once again emerged over the functioning of Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), particularly regarding the unusually long tenure of its former Vice-Chancellor and the administrative system that evolved during that period. Speaking in an interview, Hemendra Chandalia, former professor associated with Rajasthan Vidyapeeth and former Vice-Chancellor of Haryana Central University, described the approximately 14-year tenure of the former Vice-Chancellor as a serious issue in the context of UGC regulations. He said that, according to the rules he referred to, a person cannot serve more than two terms as Vice-Chancellor of the same university. From a people’s institution to a centralised system?

Chandalia, who joined the institution in 1986, recalled the university’s earlier identity as an institution created to take education to working people and socially disadvantaged communities. He highlighted the legacy of Janardan Rai Nagar, under whose vision the institution expanded its educational and social outreach, including rural education, adult education and the preservation of Rajasthan’s literature and cultural heritage. According to Chandalia, one of the institution’s defining strengths was its participatory administrative structure, where staff and representatives of different units played a role in decision-making. He argued that this institutional character gradually weakened, with the academic and social administration structures losing their earlier role, while the management administration became increasingly centralised. ‘Lack of transparency creates the conditions for irregularities’ Chandalia said institutional problems should not be viewed merely as allegations against individuals. In his view, lack of transparency, weakening of democratic mechanisms and concentration of decision-making powers can create an environment where financial and administrative irregularities become possible. He advocated decentralisation of authority, including appropriate financial powers for heads of individual institutions, rather than concentrating decision-making with the Vice-Chancellor. Call for an independent inquiry A key demand emerging from the interview is the constitution of an independent three-member inquiry committee to examine the university’s functioning over an extended period. Chandalia suggested that the Chancellor has the authority to order an inquiry and argued that an independent examination could establish the facts surrounding the various issues raised about the university. The objective, he said, should be to ensure that the facts are brought into the open and that corrective measures are taken wherever required. ‘The university’s history cannot be reduced to 14 years’ Chandalia also cautioned against viewing the institution’s history only through the lens of the former Vice-Chancellor’s 14-year tenure. He pointed to the university’s much longer institutional journey and the contribution of numerous individuals who helped build the Vidyapeeth over several decades. According to him, the focus should therefore be not only on what happened in the past, but also on strengthening the institution’s governance framework so that similar problems do not recur. A major challenge for the new leadership The discussion also placed the spotlight on the responsibilities of the university’s present leadership. Chandalia said that unless the university restores transparency, decentralises administrative powers and strengthens participatory mechanisms, similar institutional challenges could emerge again in the future. He expressed hope that the university’s original principles of participation, accountability and decentralised governance could be strengthened under the new leadership. Comprehensive audit may hold the key The interview also raised the possibility of a comprehensive audit of the university’s functioning. Such an exercise could examine financial, administrative and institutional processes, identify shortcomings and help establish a stronger governance framework for the future. The bigger question: What comes next for Vidyapeeth?

The debate surrounding Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth is now moving beyond one individual or one tenure. The larger question is whether the institution can reconnect with the participatory, transparent and decentralised governance model that its former professor describes as central to its original identity. For an institution with a long educational and social legacy, the challenge ahead is clear: learn from the past, restore institutional accountability and ensure that the Vidyapeeth’s future is built on stronger systems rather than individualised power.