Punjab Medical Education and Research Secretary Manjit Singh Brar has been assigned the officiating charge of Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) following the completion of Dr Rajeev Sood’s tenure. Brar will continue to discharge his existing responsibilities while serving as the acting Vice-Chancellor until a regular appointment is made.
The Punjab Government has appointed Medical Education and Research Secretary Manjit Singh Brar as the officiating Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, following the completion of the tenure of Dr Rajeev Sood.
The appointment was notified by the Punjab Governor’s Secretariat, which stated that Brar will continue to hold his existing responsibilities while serving as the acting Vice-Chancellor until a regular Vice-Chancellor is appointed.
Dr Rajeev Sood, who assumed charge as Vice-Chancellor on June 7, 2023, completed his three-year tenure in June 2026.
A renowned urologist, Dr Sood served the university during a period marked by several academic and administrative developments. During his appointment, he had expressed his vision of making BFUHS one of the leading health sciences universities in North India by strengthening academics, research and institutional development.
The leadership transition comes at a time when the university has faced a series of controversies.
Recently, BFUHS was in the spotlight after a doctor was suspended for allegedly dumping a deceased patient’s body at the gate of a crematorium near Guru Gobind Singh Medical College Hospital, a constituent institution of the university.
The university also came under scrutiny over alleged malpractice during the recruitment examination for pharmacy officers. Authorities apprehended 28 candidates for allegedly using Bluetooth-enabled electronic devices during the examination. While the university and the Punjab Government described the incident as a cheating racket in which candidates allegedly paid between Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 13 lakh for unfair assistance, opposition parties termed it a paper leak.
Apart from these recent incidents, BFUHS has also faced vigilance inquiries in the past over alleged irregularities related to procurement processes and appointments.
Manjit Singh Brar will now oversee the functioning of the university until the appointment of a permanent Vice-Chancellor.
