The Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has asked the President Pratibha Patil to reconsider her decision to appoint Prof B. Gopal Reddy's as the VC of English and Foreign Languages University (Eflu) based in Hyderabad. The university battling with controversies was functioning without a regular VC for nearly eight months. The last VC of the university Prof Abhay Maurya's tenure expired in June 2010 and a search committee headed by eminent writer U R Ananthamurthy was constituted in September 2010. The committee in its meeting on Oct 23, 2010, short-listed four names – Debarati Bandyopadhyay, (Shantiniketan University), Sukanto Chowdhury, (Jadavpur University), Gopal Reddy, (Palamur University) and Shelley Walia (Punjab University). The President, in her capacity as Visitor of all central varsities, has cleared Prof. B Gopal Reddy's candidature, which is backed by Petroleum Minister S Jaipal too. Kapil Sibal has returned the file to the President requesting her to reconsider her decision and appoint a fresh search committee, sources said. Prof. Reddy who joined as Eflu VC from December 12, 2010 has more than six years experience as VC of two universities, including Palamur, and is now additionally in-charge VC of Kakatiya and Telangana Universities.
