While Kane looks upon his newest assignment as a challenge, he is only too aware that handling as large an organisation as MSU is going to be no cakewalk. This being the university's golden jubilee year, the scrutiny will be particularly intense.

The foremost problem before the new V-C, according to old hands at the university, is the question of affiliation, especially for the Faculty of Commerce. ``if the rush has to be handled, the university authorities need to either plump for (affiliation) or think up an alternative'', says Dean of the Faculty of Social Work Anil Navle.

There are pitfalls either way. A section of the academe thinks granting affiliation will spoil the residential character of the university, while others, like Officer on Special Duty (Examinations) L J Parekh, believe the authorities should go in for decentralisation to accommodate the ever-increasing number of applicants for the Commerce faculty. Dean of the Faculty of Arts D H Mohite suggests that the university should use its plot in front of the VIP Road to set up an alternative Commerce faculty.

With opinions on campus so diverse, even the Syndicate has not been able to reach a consensus despite several meetings on the issue. The V-C's decision-making role, therefore, becomes all important in this context. Optimists hope for a resolution before the next academic session begins.

Though Kane begins with the ``disadvantage'' of being a non-academic, he can make up for that drawback through efficient administration, especially while dealing with leaders of student unions. For all intents and purposes, union leaders have had their way in almost every dispute -- consider the Commerce faculty cut-off percentage, for instance, or the development fee in the Faculty of Technology -- and today need firm, but fair, handling.

As administrator, Kane will also have to mobilise funds and invite private donors to sponsor various extra-curricular activities in the campus. Besides, Kane will be expected to firm the structure of the campus diversity programme, the implementation of which has come in for a great deal of criticism from various of quarters, and realise the purpose envisioned for it by his predecessor Padma Ramchandran.

If efficient staff management is to be his watchword, Kane will need to look into the vacancies for lecturers in various faculties as well as the practice of appointing OSDs and officiating deans instead of professors as long-term in-charges of various faculties.

Kane will also have to look into the fact that one of the most important posts of the university -- that of the registrar -- is being manned on a temporary basis. No applicants have responded to advertisements and the post is currently managed by Block Developmental Officer Pratibha Desai.

For Maharaja Sayajiraio University, having Kane at the helm in the golden jubilee year could well turn out to be a golden opportunity.