CHENNAI: Academics and activists submitted a memorandum to the Governor K Rosaiah urging his immediate intervention to rectify the “vague” qualifications spelt out for the selection of the next Vice-Chancellor of Madurai Kamarajar University.
Drawing his attention to the notification in newspapers by the search committee, entrusted with the selection of the next VC, the memorandum highlighted that the advertisement has omitted to mention that candidates must not have criminal cases pending against them.
The advertisement, issued on May 31, says the applicant “should have 10 years experience as a Professor in the University system (including Associate Professor in PG Colleges).” Alleging that such conditions were deliberately made vague, the memorandum stated, “It is common sense the post of an Associate Professor in a PG college is not equivalent to that of a professor in a University system. The number of years in service required by an Associate Professor in a PG college has also not been spelt out. The word ‘including’ does not mean anything in this context.”
Among the 16 eminent people, who had endorsed the petition include, M Anandakrishnan, chairman, IIT Kanpur, former IAS officers D K Oza and M G Devasahayam.
They said, the vague, deliberate and confusing terminology used for the qualification of candidates gave room for suspicion that it was intended to help someone with vested interest to apply and get nominated.
The memorandum also submitted that the state government, while issuing a memorandum in 2009, had deliberately avoided adopting the UGC-prescribed (University Grants Commission) qualifications for the post of Vice-Chancellor. While the Madurai Kamaraj University Act, 1965, was amended in 2010 to accommodate the salary component of Vice-Chancellor as per the UGC norms, it omitted to amend the regulations regarding the qualifications of the Vice-Chancellor as prescribed by the UGC.
