COIMBATORE: Governor K Rosaiah has appointed K Ramasamy as the Vice Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University for the second consecutive term. Ramasamy, who is also a member of the State Planning Commission, can now remain in office for another three years. His first term was from 27 August 2012 to 26 August 2015.
Though Ramasamy will complete 70 years of age in May 2018, he can hold the post till November 2018. “There is no age limit for the Vice Chancellor’s post in the TNAU Acts and Statues. The university was established in 1971, well before the University Grants Commission created,” explained a university source.
Ramasamy was chosen after the search committee for the post submitted a list three names to Governor-Chancellor Rosaiah from a number of applicants.
The search panel was led by P N Veda Narayanan, former Vigilance and Development Commissioner. The other members were Srinivasan Sithanantham, Director, Entomology, Sun Agro Biotech Research Centre, Chennai, and S Ayyappan, Secretary, Central Department of Agricultural Research and Education and Director General, Indian Council for Agricultural Research.
Born on May 1, 1948 at Nilaiyoor, Aranthangi in Pudukkottai district, Ramasamy took his undergaduate and postgraduate degrees from Annamalai University. He obtained MS in Fermentation Technology and PhD in Industrial Microbiology from Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
Reacting to his appointment for a second term, Ramasamy said, “We have to develop infrastructure facilities at the university so that students can develop their creative abilities. Our education system must encourage such qualities.”
He said farmers now viewed agriculture as a secondary business. “We have to make it profitable so that farming becomes the primary occupation,” said Ramasamy.