3 min readChandigarhFeb 20, 2026 05:14 PM IST
Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh, on Friday, gave Kurukshetra University Vice-Chancellor Professor Som Nath Sachdeva the additional charge of Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, replacing Rajbir Singh, whose tenure ended amid a series of controversies and a standoff with the government.
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Prof Sachdeva’s tenure will begin on February 21 until the “regular Vice-Chancellor is appointed”.
The closing weeks of Singh’s tenure were marked by a sharp confrontation with the state’s higher education department over the issuance of appointment letters to 11 faculty members — four professors and seven associate professors.
On January 14, 2026, the Haryana Government directed the university not to make new appointments or hold Executive Council (EC) meetings to approve such appointments without prior approval. The directive also stated that no appointment orders should be issued and that no selected candidates should be allowed to join until the government made a decision.
Despite these instructions, Singh allegedly convened the 304th EC meeting on February 18. The state government, in a communication dated February 17 from the additional chief secretary of the higher education department, asked the MDU vice-chancellor and the registrar to postpone the meeting.
The government alleged that an earlier 302nd EC meeting had already been held in violation of instructions to reschedule it, and that appointment letters had been issued in violation of explicit directions. It also pointed out that the minutes of the 302nd meeting had not yet been approved and cautioned against acting on its agenda items.
The situation escalated when Singh suspended MDU Registrar Dr Krishan Kant for complying with the state government’s directive to defer the February 18 meeting. The suspension triggered immediate intervention from the Haryana Governor in his capacity as Chancellor. On February 19, the Governor revoked the suspension order, reinstated Kant, and declared the February 18 EC meeting “illegal,” effectively nullifying its proceedings.
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Rajbir Singh’s critics alleged that the vice-chancellor attempted to push through the disputed appointments just days before the end of his second term. A senior EC member, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that the February 18 meeting was convened to confirm the minutes of the earlier session in which the appointments had been approved, despite clear government instructions to the contrary.
In September 2025, members of the Bhagat Singh Chhatar Morcha staged a protest at the MDU vice-chancellor’s official residence, alleging misuse of university resources and staff. The student group accused him of running an unauthorised “flowerpot factory” from the campus and diverting university funds, charges that further intensified scrutiny of his administration.
With Singh’s tenure concluding amid administrative and legal questions, the Haryana Government’s decision to hand over the additional charge of MDU to the Kurukshetra University vice-chancellor is being seen as an interim arrangement until a regular appointment is made.
The status of the disputed faculty appointments and the outcome of the pending inquiries are likely to remain key issues for the incoming administration.
