After the term of Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), ended on August 18, Dr Rishipal Singh, Registrar, has been given the additional charge as VC. No announcement regarding the new VC has been made. The advertisement inviting applications for the post has already been published and the last date for submitting the same is August 26.Applications are to be sent to the office of the Administrative Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Punjab.Students’ and employees’ unions had written to the Chief Minister and the Governor seeking the extension of the term of Dr Gosal but no decision was taken.IAS officer Rishipal was appointed as Registrar in November 2023 and his appointment had sparked a controversy. The teacher’s body, Punjab Agricultural University Teachers Association (PAUTA), had opposed the decision saying it was against the rules prescribed in The Haryana and Punjab Agricultural Universities Act, 1970.It was after 2002 that once again the post was given to an IAS officer. SK Mishra, an IAS, was the first registrar of the university and later the post was given to either an IAS or PCS official till 2002.PAUTA had contended that the appointment of registrar should be from among the teaching faculty, which has to be cleared by the Board of Management.Things will be clear only after August 26, once the applications for the post are received. The employees and faculty is till then keeping their fingers crossed.An accomplished agricultural biotechnologist, Dr Gosal had assumed charge as Vice-Chancellor on August 19, 2022. His tenure witnessed substantial expansion of infrastructure and institutional capacity.