CHENNAI: FOR perhaps the first time in Tamil Nadu, the Governor and the State government showed ample caution in the process of selecting vice-chancellors of three universities. That was a welcome change in approach as governments in the past had been hemmed by complaints of irregularities in the appointment of vice-chancellors and corruption charges against some of those who held the posts earlier.
The interview of candidates for vice-chancellors for three universities - University of Madras, Madurai Kamaraj University and Anna University - held at Raj Bhavan on Friday lasted about five hours in the morning and evening with a gap of a few hours in between.
Chancellor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Higher Education Minister K P Anbalagan and senior officials were present during the interview. The Governor is expected to announce the final list soon.
While Anna University and Madras University have been working without a vice-chancellor since 2016, Madurai Kamaraj University did not have a vice-chancellor for nearly two years. The search panels submitted three names for each of the three universities.
Recently, a Vacation Judge of the Madras High Court ordered notice on a writ petition praying for a directive to the State government to fill the posts of vice-chancellors to the three universities.
The petitioner prayed for a directive to the authorities to bring out immediately specific enforceable norms to fix a time frame to complete the process of appointment of vice-chancellors so that there was no discontinuity or disruption in the effective functioning of the universities and the interest of the student community and higher education was protected.