COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday constituted a three-member Vice Chancellor (V-C) Search Committee to recommend names for the appointment of a new V-C for Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in Coimbatore.
K Mohan Ram, retired judge of the Madras High Court, has been appointed the government nominee and he is also convener of the V-C Search Committee.
P Ramasundaram, former national coordinator, ICAR (NAHEP and NAIP) principal scientist, New Delhi, is the nominee of the Academic Council of TNAU. S Ramanathan, former Director of Research, TNAU, is nominee of the Board of Management of TNAU.
Nominees of the Academic Council and Board Management of TNAU are members of the V-C Search Committee.
Under section 11 of the TNAU Act, 1971, the government must constitute a search committee to recommend a panel of three names to the government for appointment of the V-C of TNAU.
The committee is requested to recommend a panel of the three names of eligible candidates along with their bio-data to the government of Tamil Nadu for appointment of V-C, TNAU, said a notification from the Agriculture-Farmers Welfare Department dated May 2.
The Governor of Tamil Nadu had nominated the convener of the last V-C search committee. As the state government is now empowered to appoint the V-Cs, the government nominated a retired judge of the Madras High Court as convener of the V-C search committee.
As per the norm, the committee should submit its recommendation of three names for the V-C posts to the government within four months from the date of its constitution.
Finally, the government will select the V-C for TNAU. The V-C search committee will start the process of V-C selection soon, sources added.
The tenure of former TNAU V-C V Geethalakshmi, the university’s first woman V-C, ended on March 28. Governor RN Ravi in his role as the Chancellor appointed the university registrar as the acting V-C, till a V-C is appointed.