‘Subramanian Swamy not in race for JNU’s V-C post’

Putting the rumours about BJP leader Subramanian Swamy being in the race for the post of Vice-Chancellor at Jawaharlal Nehru University to rest, Union minister for human resource development Smriti Irani on Saturday said he <g data-gr-id="30">was past</g> the age limit required for the post.

“I also wish to make it clear that my ministry doesn’t recommend <g data-gr-id="38">name</g> for the post of V-C. It is recommended by the search and select committee. In any case, I think there is an age bar for the post and <g data-gr-id="34">Swamyji</g> has crossed the age bar. But at least now I know who my friends in the Left are afraid of,” she said while attending a conclave.

Reacting to reports that HRD Ministry was believed to have offered Swamy the post of JNU V-C, Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ 

Union (JNUSU) had threatened to “resist any attempts with all its might” to <g data-gr-id="35">saffronise</g> the campus and termed the BJP leader as a “regressive figure”. 

It said Swamy’s appointment would be <g data-gr-id="40">gross</g> violation of rules as the age criterion fixed 

for the applicant for the job is 65 years and Swamy is well past that age.

It may be recalled that Swamy had set a premium for taking up the coveted post. The move was seen as part of the Narendra Modi government’s strategy to ‘appease’ Swamy, who has not been ‘accommodated’ in the Cabinet.

Earlier, sources in the HRD Ministry had said that Irani had discussed the matter with Swamy and the latter had agreed to accept the offer provided he gets a cabinet rank stature.

The motive behind proposing Swamy’s name for the coveted post is to promote the Modi government’s vision in JNU, which is dominated by the Left ideology. 

Also, the HRD Ministry is mulling a course correction by starting some bachelor programmes. 

However, plans for such a change have not moved an inch due to <g data-gr-id="36">strong</g> objection of students and teachers.