Governor Acharya Devvrat 12th Chancellor Of Gujarat Vidyapith

Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat will be the 12th Chancellor of the Ahmedabad-based Gujarat Vidyapith, founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920.

Acharya Devvrat's name was proposed as the next (12th) Chancellor of the Gujarat Vidyapith, the deemed university, by its decision-making body on October 4 after accepting the resignation of Ela Bhatt.

Bhatt, 89, had resigned as the chancellor citing her advanced age, and requested trustees to look for a replacement. 

Bhatt, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee was chosen to lead the Gandhian institute in March 2015 after the resignation of the then Chancellor Narayan Desai.

In a letter to Gujarat Vidyapith Vice Chancellor Rajendra Khimani, Acharya Devvrat on Tuesday said he was thankful for conveying to him that the university's governing council (Mandal) resolved on October 4 to invite him to assume the post for five years.

"I convey my consent for the Chancellorship of Gujarat Vidyapith," he said.

Mahatma Gandhi served as the lifelong chancellor of the Gujarat Vidyapith which was founded on October 18, 1920.

After him, stalwarts like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, and Morarji Desai served as the chancellor of the 102-year-old university.

Acharya Devvrat took over as the Gujarat Governor in June 2019. Before that, he was the governor of Himachal Pradesh. He is known for promoting natural farming.

(Inputs from PTI)