Central University of Gujarat gets its first woman VC after a year without a permanent head
By TUF News Desk · Published 11 November 2026 · 4 min read
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Prof Vijita Singh Aggarwal took charge as Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Gujarat on Monday, November 9. She is the first woman to lead the university in the 17 years since it was set up. Senior professors welcomed her when she assumed office, the university said in a statement.
Aggarwal comes from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) in Delhi, where she was Professor of Management at the University School of Management Studies and Director of International Affairs. In that role she led the university’s international partnerships, student mobility agreements and support for international students.
A management academic with an international profile
Her academic record runs through three institutions. She holds a master’s in international business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and a PhD in management from GGSIPU. She also completed a European Research Masters in Education Policy and Management under the Erasmus Mundus programme, through the Institute of Education at the University of London and the University of Deusto in Spain.
She has taught as a visiting or adjunct faculty member at IIT Roorkee, IIIT Kota and NLU Shimla, and has about eight years of industry experience behind her. Some reports spell her surname Agrawal; the university’s website uses Aggarwal.
A post left vacant for almost a year
The appointment ends a long gap at the top. Her predecessor, Prof Rama Shankar Dubey, took office on November 22, 2019, and retired on November 22, 2025 after a one-year extension. An acting Vice-Chancellor has run the university since then.
The delay was not unique to Gujarat. A report in The Telegraph on November 9 noted that several central institutions were functioning under interim heads while search panels and appointments waited on government approval. The Central University of Gujarat had advertised the post in June 2024, and a search committee had submitted a panel of names in April 2025. The ministry rejected those names in July 2025 and asked for more, and the final pick waited on the approval of the Visitor, President Droupadi Murmu.
What she takes over
The Central University of Gujarat was set up under the Central Universities Act, 2009, and holds an A+ grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. It began in temporary premises in Sectors 29 and 30 of Gandhinagar. Its permanent 100-acre campus is coming up at Kundhela in Dabhoi taluka, Vadodara district, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone in June 2022.
As a central university it admits students from across the country; our guide to central, state and private universities explains how that differs from a state university. Student services at CUG already run through SAMARTH, the Ministry of Education’s e-governance suite for universities.
Aggarwal has not yet announced her priorities for the university. The appointment comes as the University Grants Commission has asked campuses to step up women’s empowerment work in line with the National Education Policy 2020, so her background in international affairs and education policy will be watched closely as the Vadodara campus takes shape.
Gujarat University named Dr Pruthul Desai as its Vice-Chancellor on November 7, so two of Gujarat’s large universities have new heads within a week. The university’s own page for the new Vice-Chancellor is on the official Central University of Gujarat website.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the new Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Gujarat?
Prof Vijita Singh Aggarwal, a Professor of Management at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in Delhi, where she also served as Director of International Affairs.
When did Prof Vijita Singh Aggarwal take charge?
On Monday, November 9, 2026. She is the first woman to lead the university since it was set up in 2009.
How long was the Central University of Gujarat without a permanent Vice-Chancellor?
Almost a year. Her predecessor, Prof Rama Shankar Dubey, retired on November 22, 2025, and an acting Vice-Chancellor ran the university until her appointment.
Where is the Central University of Gujarat based?
It began in temporary premises in Gandhinagar and is moving to a permanent 100-acre campus at Kundhela in Dabhoi taluka, Vadodara district. The foundation stone was laid in June 2022.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the new Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Gujarat?
Prof Vijita Singh Aggarwal, a Professor of Management at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in Delhi, where she also served as Director of International Affairs.
When did Prof Vijita Singh Aggarwal take charge?
On Monday, November 9, 2026. She is the first woman to lead the university since it was set up in 2009.
How long was the Central University of Gujarat without a permanent Vice-Chancellor?
Almost a year. Her predecessor, Prof Rama Shankar Dubey, retired on November 22, 2025, and an acting Vice-Chancellor ran the university until her appointment.
Where is the Central University of Gujarat based?
It began in temporary premises in Gandhinagar and is moving to a permanent 100-acre campus at Kundhela in Dabhoi taluka, Vadodara district. The foundation stone was laid in June 2022.
Sources: Elets digitalLEARNING, Webdunia, The Telegraph, Central University of Gujarat