MADURAI: “Improper utilisation” of the Rs 3.67 crore, granted last year by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Government of India, and the “delay in submitting documents” for the funds lead to the cancellation of one of Madurai Kamaraj University’s (MKU’s) flagship postgraduate courses for the academic year 2020-2021, sources from the university told TNIE.
The course – M Sc Bioinformatics – following its cancellation in 2017 for a similar reason, was restored later at the end of the year. In 2019, the DBT had allocated Rs 3.67 crore to resume the programme for the academic year 2020-2021, for releasing which grant, it sought the submission of financial document and progress report, which the university authorities “failed to submit”.
Sources told TNIE that the university “did not act”, despite the repeated reminders from the DBT and the faculty, resulting in the DBT cancelling the programme on February 9. Blaming the “inefficiency” of the authorities, the sources added that the university had failed to utilise the opportunity, and sought action against the faculty responsible. “I do not know who will be taking the responsibility –the faculty who had dealt with this or the administration", said one of the sources, concerned over whether this might lead to the closure of the M Sc Biotechnology course. Another source insisted that the vice-chancellor of the university and the authorities should take necessary actions to “restore the reputation” of the university. DBT Chairperson Professor Sakila said that the committee was “dissatisfied” with the report submitted by the university on October 5, and sought another by the end of this month. MKU V-C Krishnan was unavailable for comment.
Prestigious programme
With the DBT’s funding, the MKU in 1985 had started the School of Biotechnology, which offers the said prestigious postgraduate programme, to which the students are admitted via a national-level entrance examination conducted by the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.