RGU Finally Gets a VC — But Students Say APU Can’t Wait Anymore

Two years of leadership vacuum at Arunachal’s only central university just came to an end. Now, students want the same urgency applied to the state university sitting in limbo.

AAPSU Breaks Its Silence — With Applause and a Warning

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) came out strongly on Friday, welcoming the Union government’s decision to appoint Prof. Shivaraj — a retired Chemistry professor from Osmania University — as the regular Vice Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU). The appointment, announced on July 2, carries a tenure of five years or until Prof. Shivaraj turns 70, whichever comes first. For a university that has been running on temporary arrangements for nearly two years, this is not just administrative relief — it’s a long-overdue correction.

The Fight AAPSU Had Been Quietly Waging

This didn’t happen out of nowhere. AAPSU has been pushing for this appointment for a while now. Back in May, the union submitted a detailed 27-point memorandum to State Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona, demanding that the leadership gap at RGU be filled without further delay. AAPSU president Meje Taku had been vocal about one thing — that an “in-charge” arrangement is not the same as real leadership. You simply cannot run a university on stop-gap measures and expect research, faculty hiring, or student welfare to function the way it should. Taku thanked the Union Education Ministry for finally acting and expressed hope that the new VC would give RGU the momentum it genuinely deserves.

But the Celebration Comes With a Demand

Here’s where the tone shifts. Even as AAPSU welcomed the RGU development, the union made it crystal clear that Arunachal Pradesh University (APU) in Pasighat is now their next battle. APU has been without a full-time Vice Chancellor since February 2026 — that’s five months of administrative drift. What makes it more frustrating is that the post was advertised all the way back in August 2025. Nearly a year has passed and the chair remains empty. That’s not a delay, that’s negligence.

The Clock Is Ticking for APU

Taku didn’t mince words. He pointed out that if the Centre could move quickly to appoint a VC for RGU, there’s absolutely no excuse for dragging feet on APU. With the next academic session approaching, every week without a permanent head means uncertain admissions, stalled decisions, and a university stuck in neutral. Students who chose APU for their future deserve better than a leadership structure built on borrowed time. The warning from AAPSU is clear — act now, before the academic damage becomes irreversible.

What This Moment Really Means

Arunachal’s higher education has long suffered from the kind of bureaucratic inertia that student unions like AAPSU have had to fight at every turn. The RGU appointment proves that it doesn’t take forever when there’s political will. Now, with APU still waiting and students watching, the ball is squarely in the government’s court. Institutions don’t run themselves, and in-charge officers can only do so much. Leadership matters — and Arunachal’s students are done being patient about it.

— Naitik
Abotani TV

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