OV Nandimath, who was at the heart of the recent controversy over the appointment of Vice-Chancellor of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bengaluru, resigned from the post of Registrar on Saturday. He will, however, continue as a professor at the University. 

This comes just within days after Sudhir Krishnaswamy took charge as the Vice-Chancellor and after days of discontent among students over the alleged delay in his appointment. The students had even resorted to protests and even boycotted exams over the matter.

While the former Vice-Chancellor of the University, R Venkata Rao, completed his 10-year term on July 31, his successor (Krishnaswamy) was named through a mandated process on August 2. Krishnaswamy, however, took charge as the V-C only on September 25. 

Earlier this year, a three-member High-Level Committee consisting of MP Singh (distinguished Jurist), KK Venugopal (Attorney General for India) and senior advocate Arvind Datar had been set up by the Chief Justice of India, acting as the Chancellor of the University, to recommend a suitable candidate to succeed Venkata Rao. The High-Level Committee had shortlisted three candidates, in a stated order of preference, and found Sudhir Krishnaswamy to be the most suitable of the three. But no affirmative action had taken place then.

The students had alleged a malafide intention of the interim administration for delaying his appointment. 

Nandimath was the Ex-Officio Secretary to the Executive Council (EC), which is involved in the procedural formalities of the V-C’s appointment. The students alleged that he was plotting to delay the transition process and even trying to reverse the decision. They also accused Nandimath of conflict of interest, since he himself had applied to the V-C’s post but was not selected. The students had also complained that the temporary administration was passing anti-student resolutions, sometimes without even issuing circulars.

In an elaborate statement issued earlier, the students had said, “The student body has lost all faith in his (Nandimath) ability to act in an impartial manner in this matter. The Registrar should recuse himself of this process owing to his obstructionist behaviour and evident conflict of interest, having been one of the 16 applicants for the position of Vice-Chancellor.