CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Federation of University Faculty Associations (TANFUFA) condemned Periyar University for issuing a show cause notice to an associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication for publishing two books without obtaining prior permission.
According to the associations’ statement, associate professor R Subramani published the book Periyar’s Battlefield in 2023. Additionally, he also released a revised edition of the book Macaulay Was an Enemy of Conservative Education. Although the professor had issued a reply in December 2023 when the university had asked for an explanation then, it has now issued a show cause notice stating that it is not satisfied with his response.
TANFUFA emphasised that faculty members are not required to seek permission from universities to publish their research papers nor is there any procedure mandating this. Publishing research papers and books is also an important criterion for promotions. The association warned that such actions could hamper the research activities at the universities by instilling fear among students and professors.