Panjab University gets a regular VC after 103 days: Tankeshwar Kumar to take charge
By TUF News Desk · Published 10 November 2026 · 4 min read
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Panjab University will have a regular vice-chancellor again after 103 days. Prof Tankeshwar Kumar, who currently heads the Central University of Haryana, has been appointed vice-chancellor of Panjab University for three years. The notification was issued on November 9, and Kumar said he would join the Chandigarh university in two to three days.
The appointment was made by the university’s Chancellor and Vice-President of India, C.P. Radhakrishnan, under Section 10 of the Panjab University Act, 1947. The notification came from the Secretariat of the Vice-President and was signed by Amit Khare, Secretary to the Vice-President. Kumar’s three-year term begins on the day he assumes charge. Speaking after the notification, he said: “I am happy to have been appointed and express my gratitude to the Vice-President of India and Chancellor of Panjab University, CP Radhakrishnan.”
Why the post was vacant
The university has been without a regular vice-chancellor since July 28, when Prof Renu Cheema Vig completed her tenure after a four-month extension granted in March. Prof Meenakshi Goyal, Dean of University Instruction, has held additional charge since July 29. The gap lasted 103 days.
A long selection process
The appointment follows a selection process that had reached the interview stage before Vig’s tenure ended. A three-member search-cum-selection committee headed by Lt Gen (retd) Madhuri Kanitkar, vice-chancellor of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, shortlisted 28 candidates. Of them, 25 appeared for interactions held on July 3 and 6. No appointment was announced before Vig’s tenure ended, so the university ran under interim charge for more than three months.
Who Kumar is
Kumar is not new to Panjab University. He served there as a UGC professor of physics and worked with the Abdul Kalam Computer Centre. He was a member of the university Senate from 2000 to 2006, and The Tribune notes he was the first UGC professor in India appointed under the Faculty Recharge Programme. He was also among the frontrunners for the vice-chancellor’s post in 2023, before Vig was appointed.
Kumar later served as vice-chancellor of Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology in Hisar from 2015 to 2021, and has headed the Central University of Haryana since 2021.
What he plans to do
Asked about his priorities, Kumar named student welfare, better academic output, job-oriented education, stronger faculty and more research. One pending matter is the Senate. Elections to the university’s governing body were completed on October 4, but the previous Senate’s tenure ended on October 31, 2024, and the university has run without an elected governing body since. Kumar said he was aware of the matter and that the notification of the elected Senate fellows and the constitution of the new House would come very soon, in the next few days.
Panjab University traces its origins to the University of the Punjab, established in 1882 at Lahore, and was re-established at Chandigarh under the Panjab University Act of 1947. The state public university runs 74 teaching departments from its 550-acre campus in Sectors 14 and 25, along with a large network of affiliated colleges. Our guide to central, state and private universities explains how the three types differ. The university publishes its notifications on the official Panjab University website.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the new vice-chancellor of Panjab University?
Prof Tankeshwar Kumar, currently vice-chancellor of Central University of Haryana. He has been appointed for three years, counted from the date he assumes charge.
When was the appointment notified?
On November 9, 2026, by the Secretariat of the Vice-President of India, under Section 10 of the Panjab University Act, 1947.
How long was Panjab University without a regular vice-chancellor?
103 days. Prof Renu Cheema Vig completed her tenure on July 28, 2026, and Prof Meenakshi Goyal, Dean of University Instruction, held additional charge from July 29 until the new appointment.
What are the new vice-chancellor’s stated priorities?
Student welfare, improving academic output, job-oriented education, strengthening faculty and enhancing research. He also said the notification for the newly elected Senate would come in the next few days.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the new vice-chancellor of Panjab University?
Prof Tankeshwar Kumar, currently vice-chancellor of Central University of Haryana. He has been appointed for three years, counted from the date he assumes charge.
When was the appointment notified?
On November 9, 2026, by the Secretariat of the Vice-President of India, under Section 10 of the Panjab University Act, 1947.
How long was Panjab University without a regular vice-chancellor?
103 days. Prof Renu Cheema Vig completed her tenure on July 28, 2026, and Prof Meenakshi Goyal, Dean of University Instruction, held additional charge from July 29 until the new appointment.
What are the new vice-chancellor's stated priorities?
Student welfare, improving academic output, job-oriented education, strengthening faculty and enhancing research. He also said the notification for the newly elected Senate would come in the next few days.
Sources: The Times of India, The Tribune, Mirror Now