CHENNAI: The Association of University Teachers (AUT) on Sunday expressed serious concerns over the inordinate delay and the “unwarranted intervention” of Governor R N Ravi, who is also the chancellor of state universities, in the appointment of vice-chancellors (V-C).
The association alleged that the constitution of the V-C search committee is hindered by the “adamancy of the Chancellor”, who has been compelling the state to include the UGC chairman’s nominee in the panel.
The AUT said, “The governor cited a Supreme Court judgment declaring the selection of V-C through an improperly constituted search committee as void. However, in the case of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University in Thiruvananthapuram, the selection committee included two persons who were not UGC nominees. There are instances where the UGC regulations were not followed while constituting the panel.”
Further, the association said the Supreme Court, in a case involving former MKU V-C Kalyani Mathivanan, had said the UGC regulations are only recommendatory and not mandatory in nature, besides, as per Section 28 of the UGC Act, 1956, the regulations assented by both houses of the Parliament alone have the necessary statutory backing.
AUT president Bala Murugan said Ravi should instead focus on issues at Periyar University and the non-release of salary to temporary teachers at Bharathidasan University.