Section 7C of The Banaras Hindu University Act, 1915
- (1)The Vice-Chancellor who shall be the principal executive and academic officer of the University, shall take rank next to the Chancellor and shall exercise general supervision and control over the affairs of the University and give effect to the decisions of its authorities.
- (2)The Vice-Chancellor shall be the ex officio Chairman of the Executive Council, the Academic Council 1*** and the Finance Committee and shall, in the absence of the Chancellor, preside at any convocation of the University for conferring degrees and also at any meeting of the Court; he shall be entitled to be present at and to address any meeting of any authority or board or committee of the University but shall not be entitled to vote thereat unless he is a member of such authority or board or committee.
- (3)It shall be the duty of the Vice-Chancellor to see that the provisions of this Act, the Statutes, the Ordinances and the Regulations are duly observed.
- (4)The Vice-Chancellor shall have power to convene meetings of the Court, the Executive Council, 2[and the Academic Council] and shall perform all such acts as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act, the Statutes and the Ordinances.
- (5)If, in the opinion of the Vice-Chancellor, any emergency has arisen which requires immediate action to be taken, the Vice-Chancellor shall take such action as he deems necessary and shall report the same for approval at the next meeting to the authority which, in the ordinary course, would have dealt with the matter: Provided that, if the action taken by the Vice-Chancellor is not approved by the authority concerned, he may refer the matter to the Visitor, whose decision thereon shall be final. Provided further that, where any such action taken by the Vice-Chancellor affects any person in the service of the University, such person, shall be entitled to prefer, within thirty days from the date on which he receives notice of such action, an appeal to the Executive Council.
- (6)The Vice-Chancellor shall exercise such other powers as may be prescribed by the Statutes, the Ordinances or the Regulations.
Summary
- The Vice-Chancellor is the top executive and academic officer of the university, ranking right below the Chancellor, and makes sure all decisions and rules are followed.
- They act as the automatic Chairman for the Executive Council, the Academic Council, and the Finance Committee.
- They can attend and speak at any committee meeting in the university, but they cannot vote in those meetings unless they are actually an official member of that specific group.
- If there is an emergency, the Vice-Chancellor can take immediate action but must report it to the proper committee at their next meeting.
- If a committee rejects the Vice-Chancellor's emergency action, the Vice-Chancellor can appeal to the Visitor. If the action negatively affects a university worker, that worker has thirty days to appeal to the Executive Council.
Practical examples
FAQ
1. Who is in charge of running the daily academic and executive operations?
The Vice-Chancellor is the principal executive and academic officer and exercises general supervision and control.
2. What groups does the Vice-Chancellor automatically lead as Chairman?
They are the ex officio Chairman of the Executive Council, the Academic Council, and the Finance Committee.
3. Can the Vice-Chancellor call special meetings?
Yes, they have the power to convene meetings of the Court, the Executive Council, and the Academic Council.
4. What happens if an employee gets fired or disciplined by the Vice-Chancellor during an emergency?
That employee can appeal the decision to the Executive Council within thirty days of getting notice of the action.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 7C of The Banaras Hindu University Act, 1915, where does the Vice-Chancellor officially rank in the university hierarchy?
Q2.Under Section 7C of The Banaras Hindu University Act, 1915, what limitation is placed on the Vice-Chancellor when they attend a meeting of a university board or committee?
Q3.Under Section 7C of The Banaras Hindu University Act, 1915, if an emergency action taken by the Vice-Chancellor negatively affects a university employee, what right does the employee have?
Q4.Under Section 7C read with Section 7A of The Banaras Hindu University Act, 1915, the Vice-Chancellor has the power to convene a meeting of the Court. If both the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor attend this meeting, what are their roles?
Q5.Under Section 7C of The Banaras Hindu University Act, 1915, what happens if the proper authority refuses to approve an emergency action that the Vice-Chancellor took?