Vice Chancellors write open letter slamming Rahul Gandhi's remarks on selection norms for university heads

Vice Chancellors of leading universities in India on Monday published an open letter against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, which slammed the Gandhi scion for his comments on the Vice Chancellors' selection to their post.

Vice Chancellors and academic leaders from across the nation have sent an open letter in response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comments on the selection procedure for university heads. It was signed by 181 individuals from throughout the country.

"It has come to our notice from tweet and open sources of Shri Rahul Gandhi, Congress Leader, that appointment of Vice Chancellors is made solely on the basis of affiliation with some organisation rather than on the basis of merit and qualification thereby questioning the merit of the process through which the Vice Chancellors are appointed," the letter stated.

In the letter, it said that the "process by which Vice Chancellors are selected is characterised by stringent, transparent rigorous procedure grounded on values of meritocracy, scholarly distinction and integrity" .

"As custodians of information and academic administrators, we are committed to upholding the highest levels of governance integrity, ethical behaviour, and institutional integrity. We welcome fruitful dialogue and active involvement from all relevant stakeholders as we work together to shape the future of higher education in our nation," the letter added.

The academics asked all parties concerned to "exercise discernment in distinguishing fact from fiction, and to refrain from spreading unfounded rumours." The letter claimed that Vice Chancellors of "prestigious Universities nationwide and academic leaders, address and refute the baseless allegations that have recently been circulated concerning the selection process".

"The selection has been completely based on academic and administrative prowess and with a vision to take Universities ahead," the letter said.

The VCs letter comes after the Congress leader's comments alleging that the selection process to these posts was biased.