Nagpur University's much-delayed board of studies (BoS) elections polls were finally conducted on Sunday with an impressive turnout of 98%

Nagpur University's much-delayed board of studies (BoS) elections polls were finally conducted on Sunday with an impressive turnout of 98%. The much-hyped elections which witnessed some serious controversies were conducted at 82 centres spread across seven districts, including one in Bhusawal. Of them, 58 centres witnessed cent percent turnout. Registered teachers from six faculties - mathematics, physics, electronics, business administration and languages - exercised their franchisee. All five voters at the Bhusawal centre also turned up to vote. Out of the 1,589 registered voters, 1,557 voted for their representatives.

According to Yuvraj Bante, the publicity officer for the polls, 217 candidates contested the polls from 22 boards. The others candidates were elected unopposed. Not a single suitable candidate could be found for 17 boards. As per the new criteria laid down by the state government, the vice chancellor will appoint ad-hoc boards. In Nagpur, polling was held at LAD College, Dhanwate National College, Binzani College, Mohta Science and NU's convocation hall.

Counting of votes will take place on Wednesday at the convocation hall during which six candidates for each of 22 boards would be elected. Once the BoS is constituted, NU will be able to appoint deans on various faculties. Even the Senate and academic council would be fully constituted. After this, the management council, the university's highest decision making body, would be set up.


"The entire process would take at least three to four months," registrar Mahesh Yenkie, who is also the returning officer for the polls, told TOI.

Thanks to the officials' lethargy, NU is already late by five months as it failed to conduct the all-important election without which none of the statutory bodies could be constituted. As per the Maharashtra Universities Act, 1994, the elections should have been conducted before December 31. The statutory bodies are dissolved after their five-year term expires. In NU's case, the terms of the academic and management council as well as the senate expired on August 31 last year. This brought the university's working to a grinding halt.

Like all important events in NU, these polls too were marred by a host of controversies that resulted in the resignation of assistant returning officer Vilas Ramteke who cited blackmailing and threats as the reasons for stepping down. Later, an NGO, Yuva Chetna Manch, revealed that Dr Ved Prakash Mishra's Secular Panel members were responsible for Ramteke's resignation. After a series of reports in TOI exposing dirty politics in NU, VC Vilas Sapkal constituted the justice (retired) CL Pangarkar panel to probe the dark side of academics. Yenkie also announced that the old case of tainted DNC lecturer Pradip Hadke who forged documents to vote in the senate polls would also be probed. Even Hislop College which withdrew its complaint would not be spared if the lecturer is indicted.