RTM Nagpur University gets 1st woman Vice-Chancellor in Dr Manali Kshirsagar

 

Dr Manali Kshirsagar, Director (Technical) and Advisor to Meghe Group of Institutions and daughter of late Manikrao Baitule, late academician and litterateur, became the first woman Vice Chancellor of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU), the 100-year institution. It is sheer co-incidence, but Dr Madhavi Khode-Chaware, the Additional Divisional Commissioner, who had been ably handling the charge, too became the first woman Acting Vice Chancellor of RTMNU.

 

The Governor of Maharashtra and Chancellor of Universities Acharya Devvrat made the appointment of Dr Manali Makarand Kshirsagar as the Vice-Chancellor of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University. Through a separate order, Governor Devvrat has also appointed former Director of Research at the Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, Dr Vilas Kashinath Kharche, as the Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri. Both appointments will be for a tenure of five years, or until the incumbents attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. After more than a year, the process for appointment of new Vice-Chancellor of the RTMNU gathered pace. The five candidates shortlisted were Dr Manali Kshirsagar, Director (Technical) and Advisor, Meghe Group of Institutions; Dr Subhash Kondawar, who recently retired as Pro Vice Chancellor of RTMNU; Dr Smita Deshmukh of Shri Shivaji Education Society, Amravati; Dr Satish Patil of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Rajiv Pratap Singh, Professor from IIT, Roorkee.

 

Except IIT Roorkee Professor, all appeared for the interview held on Sunday, November 30, 2025. Dr Kshirsagar started her career from Meghe Group of Institutions and rose to become Director (Technical) in it. After doing Diploma in Computer Technology from Datta Meghe Polytechnic, she did BE from YCCE, MBA from Datta Meghe Institute of Management Studies, ME from Prof Ram Meghe Institute of Technology and Research, Amravati. She got PhD from prestigious Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences. The VC selection had become a long-stretched exercise due to various reasons.

 

Additional Divisional Commissioner Dr Madhavi Khode-Chaware was taking care of RTMNU since last one year. She had replaced Dr Prashant Bokare, who had been handed additional charge of the university apart from being VC of Gondwana University. The move was necessitated after the death of then VC Dr Subhash Chaudhari in September 2024. Youth Congress National General Secretary Ajit Singh and NSUI, Nagpur have welcomed the appointment of Dr Kshirsagar. NSUI had staged a protest when the process of appointment of Vice-Chancellor was taking time. It had also demanded that RTMNU should get woman Vice Chancellor.