Overview

• Five principals were allotted to Patna University’s constituent colleges through a lottery supervised by a panel including the vice-chancellor, registrar and a chancellor’s representative.
• Dr Alka Yadav became the first woman principal of Patna Science College in its nearly century-long history.
• Dr Suheli Mehta withdrew her petition in the Patna High Court challenging the random draw, allowing the appointments to be finalized.
• Senior academics and political figures, including Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati, questioned the suitability of random assignments and raised concerns over academic fit.
• The governor’s office plans to apply similar lottery-based protocols across other Bihar universities to ensure transparency and impartiality.