Nagpur: The Cabinet decision to extend the last date for holding statutory bodies polls to February 28 has come as a lifeline for Nagpur University (NU) since it had planned to hold elections in two phases besides wasting lot of time earlier this year on faculty grouping.On November 20, TOI was the only daily to report about the state government's plans to amend the Maharashtra Public Universities Act 2016. The decision was taken mainly to bail out vice-chancellors who faced removal in the light of violating provisions of the Act.Prior to this, in a series of reports, TOI had highlighted how the vice chancellor SP Kane was inviting trouble by neglecting the deadline of November 30 set by Section 62 of the Act as well as snubbing the NU top brass received from the government.Though the NU had planned two-phase elections, it had not announced the dates of polls to 10 registered graduates. On November 17, the NU finally notified the graduates' constituency polls but it didn't match the announcement for Senate, Academic Council and Board of Studies where the registrar held a press conference. Even publicity for the graduate polls through newspaper advertisement was done half-heartedly by the NU.Making the November 17 notification as basis, TOI had asked the state department of higher and technical education about any special permission to NU to hold elections on February 4. It was then revealed that the Act would be amended.Registrar Puran Meshram admitted more time was needed to complete the poll processes since it was first election after implementation of new Act.When pointed out that some universities were able to match the deadline, Meshram said there were others who were yet to announce dates. "Mumbai University is not even holding polls. North Maharashtra University too had issues. In every university, there was some or the other problems," he said.However, the neighbouring Amravati University (AU), that has more districts under its jurisdiction than NU, has set a good example by keeping the deadline in mind. "We have completed most of the processes. It looks the NU didn't chalk out a timetable," an AU official said.Meshram then cited the confusion over faculty grouping and delay by government in framing common statutes.Here too, the NU was at fault for placing pharmaceutical sciences under the faculty of interdisciplinary studies. VC Kane and Pro-VC Pramod Yeole, who had proposed the grouping, were snubbed by the Mali Committee on the issue.

Stay updated with all the Latest Nagpur headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.