AAPSU Welcomes RGU Vice Chancellor Appointment
AAPSU welcomed the appointment of Dr. Shivaraj as Rajiv Gandhi University's regular Vice Chancellor while urging the government to fill the vacant Vice Chancellor post at Arunachal Pradesh University.
ITANAGAR- The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has welcomed the appointment of Dr. Shivaraj, a retired Professor of Chemistry from Osmania University, Hyderabad, as the regular Vice Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), Doimukh.
The appointment was notified by the Ministry of Education’s Department of Higher Education on July 2, bringing to an end nearly two years of uncertainty over the leadership of Arunachal Pradesh’s only Central University.
According to the notification issued by Deputy Secretary Shreya Bhardwaj, Dr. Shivaraj has been appointed for a term of five years from the date he assumes office or until he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.
Rajiv Gandhi University had been functioning without a regular Vice Chancellor since October 2024, when Prof. S.K. Nayak was appointed as the in-charge Vice Chancellor following the completion of the extended tenure of Prof. Saket Kushwaha.
AAPSU had consistently raised concerns over the prolonged absence of a full-time Vice Chancellor and had repeatedly urged the Union Government to make a regular appointment. The issue was also included in a 27-point memorandum submitted to Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona in May this year.
Welcoming the development, AAPSU President Meje Taku said the appointment addressed a long-pending concern of the student community.
He stated that Rajiv Gandhi University, being the state’s lone Central University, required a full-time Vice Chancellor with the authority to make academic and administrative decisions, adding that prolonged in-charge arrangements were not a substitute for permanent leadership. He also thanked the Ministry of Education and the Government of India for responding to the union’s demand.
Expressing hope for the university’s future, Taku said the newly appointed Vice Chancellor should focus on strengthening research, infrastructure, faculty recruitment and student welfare to support the overall development of higher education in the state.
While welcoming the appointment at RGU, AAPSU also reiterated its demand for the immediate appointment of a regular Vice Chancellor at Arunachal Pradesh University (APU), Pasighat.
According to the students’ body, APU has remained without a regular Vice Chancellor since February 2026, despite the post having been advertised in August 2025.
AAPSU urged the government to fill the vacancy before the commencement of the next academic session, stating that prolonged delays in appointing a permanent Vice Chancellor could affect admissions, academic planning and administrative decision-making at the university.
The students’ organisation maintained that timely appointments to key academic leadership positions are essential for ensuring effective governance and the smooth functioning of higher educational institutions in the state.
