Mumbai University's former pro-vice-chancellor, Ravindra Kulkarni, 57, has now been appointed as its vice-chancellor. The governor, also the chancellor of state universities, Ramesh Bais, released the order on Tuesday evening.

Kulkarni, a senior professor from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga, is likely to take charge soon. He was one of the frontrunners for the post right from the beginning. He was interviewed by the governor along with four other shortlisted candidates on May 26.

The vice-chancellor's post in the university has been vacant since September 10, when former vice-chancellor Suhas Pednekar's term ended. Kulkarni's term as the pro-vice-chancellor also ended at the same time, since the posts are co-terminus. Since then the post has been lying vacant and an additional charge was given to Kolhapur University vice-chancellor DT Shirke.

Pednekar, who was appointed as MU VC in 2018, stepped down from the post on September 10, 2022. Even though he was yet to complete his five-year term, Pednekar stepped down after reaching the retirement age of 65 years. Dr Digambar Tukaram Shirke, the vice-chancellor of Shivaji University, Kolhapur, was appointed in-charge vice-chancellor of MU.

A list with the final five names was submitted to the Governor on May 19, the day when interviews of 20 shortlisted candidates were conducted by the Mumbai University VC search committee headed by former UGC chairman D P Singh.

Meanwhile, Dr Suresh Wamangir Gosavi has been appointed as the vice-chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), which did not have a full-time VC for almost a year. Gosavi is a senior professor at the Department of Physics at the SPPU