CHENNAI: Even as apprehensions that the Anna University Vice-Chancellor search panel might be given a mandate to confine its search only within the varsity, the panel’s head, former Chief Justice of India R M Lodha has made it clear that it will be a broad-based selection procedure involving the best talent across the country.
Speaking to Express, Lodha said, “We had our first meeting today and it was the first step we have taken towards selecting the right candidate for the post.”
As for the appropriate candidate, he said the selection has to be broad-based. “If we have to select the right candidate, the person has to be the best talent from the country. We cannot confine it to just Anna University because we are looking for the best person here,” he added.
However, on the contrary, State government sources said the panel has been given the mandate of selecting candidates for the vacant Vice-Chancellor’s post in Anna University from only within the varsity.
A highly placed government source told Express that the mandate was that the VC panel that they recommend should only be of a university of 6 lakh students which is the biggest technological university not only in India but whole of Asia (i.e., Anna University).
“That is the mandate that has been given to us and we have to try our best and suggest a good panel of which the State can be proud of,” the source added. This mandate comes in the backdrop of criticism faced by the panel that there were attempts to bring in candidates outside the State to head the varsity which has more than 500 colleges in Tamil Nadu affiliated to it.
While it was learnt that nothing has been decided on how frequent the search panel will meet, the panel, which met the Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao here on Saturday for the first time after it was constituted, has decided to issue advertisements soon inviting eligible candidates to apply.
Justice Lodha is of the opinion that the process will take some time as they have to advertise to seek applications and then scrutinise and shortlist. “Some three months, if not more,” he said. “We will select the person as per the rules.”
Earlier last month, former Additional chief secretary N Sundaradevan was selected as the State government’s nominee for the search panel. Sundaradevan, the first IAS official from the Badaga community in The Nilgiris retired from service in 2012.
The Anna University VC post is lying vacant since former VC M Rajaram’s tenure ended in May 2016. All three names suggested by the previous search panel headed by Tamil Nadu Open University VC M Baskaran were rejected by the Governor as he found them ‘unsuitable’.
Former director of IIT Kanpur, K A Padmanabhan was reportedly elected as the syndicate nominee in the new panel which will suggest three name within the next four months.