JAIPUR: A major controversy has erupted in Rajasthan after the removal or forced resignation of five university vice-chancellors under the tenure of Governor Haribhau Bagde, who serves as Chancellor of state universities. The actions follow multiple inquiries into alleged financial irregularities, administrative misuse and contentious public remarks, but the departures have also been linked to sustained pressure from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Senior officials in the state’s higher education sector said most of the ousters came after persistent protests by the ABVP. While administrative inquiries cited financial mismanagement and misuse of power, the vice-chancellors and several political observers claimed that the removals were driven by organised campaigns by the ABVP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Four vice-chancellors were removed by the Governor, while another resigned under similar pressure.

Those removed in recent months include the vice-chancellors of Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner; Agricultural University, Jodhpur; Shri Karan Narendra Agricultural University, Jobner (Jaipur); and Brij University. The vice-chancellor of Mohanlal Sukhadia University (MLSU) in Udaipur stepped down after intense protests.

The developments have sparked criticism from academics and opposition leaders, who say political pressure is undermining institutional autonomy and weakening higher education governance in the state.

At Maharaja Surajmal Brij University in Bharatpur, Ramesh Chandra was removed as VC by the Governor following an inquiry into alleged arbitrary decisions and financial loss to the institution. Chandra, however, maintained that not a single allegation was proven and claimed the removal was orchestrated by the ABVP and the RSS prant pracharak. He said the ABVP had been protesting for 1.5 years before his ouster.

In Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Prof. Sunita Mishra faced massive protests after she reportedly called Mughal emperor Aurangzeb a “great administrator” in September 2025. ABVP activists vandalised the university administrative block during the agitation, and demands for her resignation were echoed by the BJP and Karni Sena before she eventually stepped down.

The turmoil comes at a time when Rajasthan’s state-funded universities are battling a deep financial crisis. In a virtual meeting with Chief Secretary V. Srinivas last Saturday, vice-chancellors outlined their distressing financial situation, with some institutions struggling to meet even basic operational requirements. Jai Narain Vyas University in Jodhpur has reportedly taken loans to pay salaries, while two Udaipur-based universities — Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology (MPUAT) and Mohanlal Sukhadia University — are contemplating selling portions of their land to remain functional.

Rajasthan has 29 state-funded universities, including 17 under the higher education department and six under the agriculture department. At the meeting, VCs warned that without immediate government support, several institutions “may soon be forced to shut down.”

Those present told the media that universities were unable to cover basic expenses. “More than 60% of teaching and non-teaching posts are vacant, retired employees are awaiting arrears, and institutions cannot afford routine maintenance,” one vice-chancellor said.