Chapter IV OFFICERS OF THE UNIVERSITY

Officers of the University.- The following shall be the officers of the University, namely:-

1. (i) Visitor;
2. (ii) Pro-Visitor;
3. (iii) Chairperson of the Board of Governors;
4. (iv) Director;
5. (v) Deans;
6. (vi) Registrar;
7. (vii) Controller of Examinations;
8. (viii) Finance Officer; and
9. (ix) Such other officers as may be declared by the Regulations to be the Officers of the University or the Visitor may, on the recommendation of the State Government from time to time, designate.

Visitor.-

1. (1) The Governor of Karnataka shall be the Visitor of the University. He shall, by virtue of his office, be the head of the University and shall when present, preside over any convocation of the University, to confer degrees, diplomas or other academic distinctions upon persons entitled to receive them.
2. (2) The Visitor shall nominate the Chairperson and other members of the first Board of Governors of the University, on the recommendation of the State Government.
3. (3) The Visitor may, on his own motion or on application, call for and examine the record of any officer or authority of the University in respect of any proceedings to satisfy himself as to the regularity of such proceedings or the correctness, legality or propriety of any decision taken or order passed therein; and if, in any case it appears to the Visitor that any such decision or orders shall be modified, annulled, revised or remitted for reconsideration, he may recommend a course of action to the Board.

Pro-Visitor.-

1. (1) The Minister in-charge of Higher Education in Karnataka shall by virtue of Office held by him, be the Pro-Visitor of the University.
2. (2) The Pro-Visitor shall, in the absence of the Visitor, preside at any Convocation of the University.

Chairperson of the Board of Governors.-

1. (1) The Chairperson shall not be a whole time Officer of the University.
2. (2) The Chairperson shall be an eminent person distinguished in the field of engineering, science, technology, management, industry or other related field.
3. (3) The Chairperson shall be appointed by the Visitor from a panel of three persons recommended by the Board of Governors from amongst persons of eminence as stated in sub-section (2): Provided that, if the Visitor does not approve any of the persons so recommended, he may call for fresh recommendations from the Board of Governors.
4. (4) The Chairperson shall preside at the Convocations of the University, in the absence of both the Visitor and the Pro-Visitor.
5. (5) The Chairperson shall exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by this Act, the rules made hereunder, the Regulations or Ordinances.
6. (6) It shall be the duty of the Chairperson to ensure that the decisions taken by the Board of Governors are implemented.
7. (7) The Chairperson shall hold office for a term of four years: Provided that, notwithstanding the expiry of his term of office, the Chairperson shall continue to hold office until his successor assumes office.
8. (8) The Chairperson may, by notice in writing under his hand addressed to the Board, resign from his office.

Director.-

1. (1) The Director shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the University and shall provide leadership to the University and be responsible for implementation of the decisions of the Board of Governors.
2. (2) He shall be a person of the highest level of competence, integrity, morals and institutional commitment. Besides, the Director shall be an eminent academician with specialization in engineering, science, technology, management, or other related subjects with at least ten years as Professor as per All India Council for Technical Education or University Grants Commission or Central Regulations or norms or in an equivalent position at a reputed research and development or administrative organization.
3. (3) The Director shall be appointed by the Visitor on such terms and conditions of service as may be prescribed in the Regulations.
4. (4) The Director shall be appointed out of the panel of names recommended by a Search-cum-Selection Committee constituted by the Board of Governors in the following manner,-
   • (i) The Board of Governors shall constitute a Search-cum-Selection Committee for the appointment of Director at least three months before the expiry of the term of Office of the incumbent Director;
   • (ii) The Search-cum-Selection Committee shall consist of three members, each one being an eminent academician, educationist or administrator, who is or has been the Head of a reputed University or Institute of National Importance or an Industrialist of repute. One of these members shall be nominated by the Visitor on the recommendation of the State Government and two by the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors shall appoint one of these members as the chairperson of the Search-cum-Selection Committee: Provided that, the quorum for the meeting shall be the full Committee. Provided further that, such of the members nominated, who do not respond positively within one month of being communicated of their appointment, shall be automatically replaced by other nominations.
   • (iii) No person presently connected with the affairs of the State Government or the University shall be nominated as a member of the Search-cum-Selection Committee;
   • (iv) The Registrar of the University shall be the Convener of the Search-cum-Selection Committee. The Convener shall assist the Committee in its assignment and also place before it, an available database of all the eligible candidates after inviting applications for the position of Director and receiving nominations from eminent persons. The panel of names recommended to the Board of Governors shall be arranged in the alphabetical order: Provided that, if the Board of Governors is not satisfied with the panel of names recommended by the Search-cum-Selection Committee, it may ask the Search-cum-Selection Committee to make fresh recommendations.
   • (v) The Board of Governor shall submit to the State Government a panel of three persons in the alphabetical order. The State Government shall forward the panel to the visitor who shall keeping in view merit, equity and social justice and with the concurrence of the State Government, appoint one person from the panel as the Director: Provided that, the visitor may with the concurrence of the State Government call for a second panel if he considers it necessary and the Board of Governors shall submit a second panel which shall be final. Provided further that, the first Director of the University established under this Act shall be appointed by the State Government subject to such terms and conditions as may be specified by it.
5. (5) No person shall be appointed to hold the office of the Director if he has attained the age of seventy years.
6. (6) The Director shall, subject to the provisions of sub-section
7. (5) hold the office for a term of four years. He shall be eligible for re-appointment for a second term of two years.
8. (7) The Director may by notice in writing under his hand addressed to the Board of Governors through the Chairperson, resign his office at any time.
9. (8) The Board of Governors may remove from office the Director, who,-
   • (a) has been adjudged as an insolvent; or
   • (b) has been convicted of an offence which, in the opinion of the Board, involves moral turpitude; or
   • (c) has become physically or mentally incapable of acting as a Director; or
   • (d) has acquired such financial or other interest as is likely to affect prejudicially his functions as a Director; or
   • (e) has so abused his position or so conducted himself as to render his continuance in office prejudicial to the public interest: Provided that, the Director shall not be removed from office except by an order made by the Board of Governors, after an enquiry instituted by it, in accordance with the Regulations, which the Director has been informed of the charges against him and given a reasonable opportunity of being heard in respect of those charges.
10. (9) During the temporary absence of the Director by reason of leave or vacancy remaining unfilled, the Board of Governors may designate the senior-most Professor in the University as the Director in charge until a regular Director is appointed: Provided that if the senior-most Professor is not willing to hold the post of Director in charge, then the next senior-most willing Professor may be designated as Director in charge.
11. (10) The emoluments and other conditions of service of the Director shall be as determined by the Regulations.
12. (11) The Board of Governors may initiate an inquiry as deemed proper against the Director who has not been functioning in accordance with the provisions and the objectives of the Act.
13. (12) The Board may, based on the findings of such an inquiry remove the Director or take any other action it deems fit.

Powers and functions of the Director.-

1. (1) As the Principal Executive and Academic Officer of the University, the Director shall exercise general control over the affairs of the University. He shall exercise all the powers necessary for the maintenance of discipline in the University.
2. (2) The Director shall be ex-officio Member of the Board of Governors, the Chairperson of the Executive Committee, Academic Senate, the Finance Committee and other Authorities or Bodies of the University as provided by the Regulations. He shall preside at the Convocation of the University in the absence of the Visitor, the Pro Visitor and the Chairperson of the Board of Governors. He shall also preside at the meetings of other Authorities or Bodies of the University, and shall be entitled to vote.
3. (3) He shall implement all the decisions of the Authorities or bodies of the University.
4. (4) He shall ensure that all the provisions of this Act and of the Regulations, the Ordinances, the Regulations and the Rules of the University are observed and shall have all the powers necessary for that purpose.
5. (5) He may either himself or through any Officer of the University authorized in writing by him convene the meetings of the Executive Committee, the Academic Senate, the Finance Committee and other Authorities or Bodies of the University where he is the Ex-officio Chairperson and shall perform all such acts as may be necessary to carry out and give effect to the decisions of these Authorities.
6. (6) In case of an emergency which, in his opinion requires immediate action, the Director shall take such action as he deems necessary and shall at the earliest opportunity thereafter report the action taken to such Authority or body which in the ordinary course would have dealt with the matter: Provided that, the powers vested under this sub-section shall not be exercised to revise the pay scales of University employees.
7. (7) The Director shall exercise such other powers and perform such other duties and functions as may be provided by the Ordinances or Regulations of the University or as may be delegated to him by the Board of Governors or the Chairperson of the Board, as the case may be: Provided that, the Board may lay down the criteria to be followed by the Director while exercising powers and performing his duties, which shall be evaluated by the Board annually, and if the Board is of the opinion that such criteria has not been followed, then, the Board may, after giving an opportunity of being heard to the Director, initiate action for removal of the Director under sub section
8. (12) of section 24.

Registrar.-

1. (1) The Registrar shall be the whole-time officer of the University and shall be appointed by the Board of Governors for a tenure of three years from out of a panel of three suitable persons recommended by the Director after having invited applications from appropriately experienced persons in accordance with the Regulations.
2. (2) The Registrar shall be the ex-officio Secretary of the Board of Governors, Member Secretary of the Academic Senate and the Executive Committee and Member of the Finance Committee of the University.
3. (3) It shall be the duty of the Registrar,-
   • (i) to be the custodian of the records, the common seal and such other property of the University as the Board of Governors or the Director shall commit to his charge;
   • (ii) to be responsible to the Director for the proper discharge of his functions;
   • (iii) to issue notices convening the meetings of the Board of Governors, the Executive Committee, the Academic Senate, the Faculties or Schools, the Boards of Studies and of any Authority or body of the University (with the approval of the Chairperson of the Board of Governors or Director and to keep the minutes of all such meetings;
   • (iv) to conduct the official correspondence of the Authorities or the bodies of which he is the Secretary; and
   • (v) to supply to the Visitor and to the State Government copies of the agenda of the meetings of the Authorities or the bodies of the University concerned as soon as they are issued and the minutes of the meetings within a month of holding of the meetings.
4. (4) The Registrar shall exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as may be provided by the Regulations, Ordinances or Regulations and as may be allocated to him from time to time by the Board of Governors or Director.
5. (5) The Registrar may be assisted by one or more Deputy and or Assistant Registrars based on the size and range of activities of the University.

Controller of Examinations.-

1. (1) The Controller of Examinations shall be appointed for a term of three years, by the Board of Governors from out of a panel of three suitable persons recommended by the Director from among the Professors of the University having a minimum of five years experience in that cadre.
2. (2) The Controller of Examinations shall be a Member of the Academic Senate of the University. He may be an invitee at the meetings of the Board of Governors, the Executive Committee and the Finance Committee, whenever required.
3. (3) The Controller of Examination shall be in-charge of the conduct of examinations and all other matters incidental thereto and ancillary therewith and shall perform such other duties as may be provided by the Regulations or Ordinances, or as may be allocated to him by the Director.
4. (4) The Controller of Examination may be assisted by one or more persons at the level of Deputy/Assistant Controller of Examinations, based on the size or range of activities of the University.

Finance Officer.-

1. (1) The Finance Officer shall be the whole-time officer of the University and shall be appointed by the Board of Governors for a tenure of three years from out of a panel of three suitable persons recommended by the Director after having invited applications from appropriately experienced persons in accordance with the Regulations.
2. (2) The Finance Officer shall subject to the control of the Finance Committee, exercise such powers and perform such duties and functions as may be prescribed by the Regulations and the Ordinances or as may be required from time to time by the Board of Governors or Director.

Arrangement of Work During Vacancies in the Offices of the Registrar, the Controller of Examinations and the Finance Officer Arrangement of Work During Vacancies in the Offices of the Registrar, the Controller of Examinations and the Finance Officer.-

1. (1) In the event of death, suspension or temporary absence of the Registrar, the Controller of Examinations or the Finance Officer, the Board of Governors may authorize any other suitable officer of the University to perform the duties of the Registrar, Controller of Examinations or the Finance Officer, as the case may be.
2. (2) Pending appointment of a suitable officer to fill the vacancy in the office of the Registrar, Controller of Examinations or the Finance Officer, the Director may authorize any officer to perform the duties of such vacant post till the appointment is made.

Deans of Faculties or Schools Deans of Faculties or Schools.-

1. (1) Every Dean of Faculty or School shall be the Chief Academic Officer of the Faculty or School concerned. A Professor in each Faculty or School according to seniority shall by rotation, be appointed by the Board of Governors as Dean of the Faculty or School for a period of two years: Provided that, if there is no Professor available in a Faculty, the senior most Associate Professor in the Faculty may be appointed as Dean. Provided further that, if in any Faculty, there is no Professor or an Associate Professor, any other Professor in a related discipline may be appointed to act as the Dean, till a Professor or Associate Professor is appointed in that Faculty. Provided also that, where no person is available in a Faculty or School to act as Dean or where the University does not have such a Department of Studies for any Faculty or School, then a Professor in a related Department of Studies or from a sister university may be appointed to act as the Dean of the Faculty or School.
2. (2) The Dean shall preside over the meetings of the Faculty or School concerned at the University.
3. (3) The Dean shall exercise such other powers and discharge such other functions as may be prescribed by the Regulations or the Ordinances.

Other Officers.- Other officers needed for the University, and their designations, powers and duties shall be as determined by the Regulations.