CHENNAI: After a gap of nearly two years, Anna University has finally got a Vice Chancellor (V-C). Governor Banwarilal Purohit, also the university’s chancellor, on Thursday appointed M K Surappa, a former Director of Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar, as the V-C of the university for a three-year term from the date he assumes charge.
A Raj Bhavan release said Surappa has been teaching for about three decades, after pursuing his doctorate in metallurgical engineering. He spent over 20 years at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. He is also a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and a Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering. He has 150 research publications and four patents to his credit.
Surappa had also won the Prof Rustom Choksi Award for excellence in research in engineering for 2007, MRSI-ICSC Super Conductivity and Material Science annual prize, Suvarna Karnataka Rajyotsava Award from the Government of Karnataka, the National Metallurgists Day Award from Government of India and the MRSI Medal.
Purohit had called the three candidates shortlisted for the V-C’s post for an interview on Thursday. The V-C search panel headed by Justice V S Sirpurkar interviewed eight candidates on Saturday last and handed over a list of three names to the Governor the same day. On Thursday evening, the Governor’s office issued a release appointing Surappa as the new V-C.The term of the search panel formed to select V-C was extended to April 30, after its earlier tenure ended on March 31.
Political parties oppose decision
Saying that appointment of M K Surappa, hailing from Karnataka as V-C of Anna University, was not acceptable when Cauvery water sharing dispute was raging, DMK working president M K Stalin on Thursday asked the Governor not to saffronise TN university premises by importing V-Cs. He said such imports smacked of a motive to insult the eligible sons of the soil. Other parties have expressed dissent over the appointment of Surappa as he is not a Tamil. DK leader K Veeramani said it was a shame for Tamil Nadu to have a Kannadiga as V-C. “A V-C will be be able to perform his duties to the fullest only if he understands the culture and demographics over a period of time,” said PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss. ENS