CHENNAI: In an unprecedented move after a brief lull in campus protests at Madras University, the M Phil research programme in the Department of Politics and Public Administration has been scrapped halfway through the academic year, spelling trouble for the students who had taken the course.
While the varsity maintained that the course was discontinued as the students possessed invalid bonafide certificates, the students said this decision was taken to target them for the protests.
It might be recalled that four students pursuing the course, part of the anti-liquor protests in August, were suspended for protesting the alleged demotion of former acting Head of the Department, Professor Ramu Manivannan.
However, continuing their struggle, the students had approached Madras High Court, which had then directed the university to revoke the suspension orders of the students.
The M Phil students who returned to the university campus on Friday were shocked to know that their course was discontinued for this year.
They were told that they could collect their fee through Demand Draft from the office.
University registrar David Jawahar said all the five M Phil students had presented bonafide certificates, issued by Manivannan a month prior to the department committee meeting involving all the faculty.
“Since the committee members did not have a say in the admission and other deserved applicants might have got the opportunity if not for these students, a letter was sent to Manivannan seeking an explanation. However, as it was already quite late, the course was discontinued,” he added.
Denying the claim, Manivannan told Express that he had not signed any bonafide certificate, and charged the university with playing with he lives of students through such unethical practices.
One of the M Phil students, Karmugil, said that there were a total of 20 students who had paid the university fees in order to pursue the M Phil under the department and now with admissions in all educational institutions over their future was at stake.
