MADURAI: Additional Secretary to State Government M Ilango Henry Dass has directed MKU Vice Chancellor J Kumar to take action on a petition that sought the removal of The American College Principal M Davamani Christober from his post. The petition sent to J Kumar, the Chief Minister's cell, and the Director of Collegiate Education on November 14 last year, by senior professors in the college S Stephen, R Prabahar Vedamanickam, S Premsingh, and D Stephen, claimed that Christober remaining in the post for the last 12 years was illegal on two counts.
Firstly, UGC Regulations 2018 and Tamil Nadu G.O. dated January 11, 2021, clearly state that no person should hold the post of a college principal for more than 10 years. Secondly, a person can remain in the principal post for over five years only if his or her tenure extension is approved by the parent university. "Christober was appointed as principal in 2011, and he had secured no extension approval after the first five years," the petition read.
"A careful scrutiny of the UGC Regulations 2018 and the 2021 G.O. reveals an irrefutable legal position that the principals, who have completed their 10-year tenure, or those who have not been provided with extension by the university after a five-year tenure, cannot be members of the MKU Senate or Academic Council, as the statues and bye-laws of the university would render them ineligible," the petition added.
Speaking to TNIE, Vice-Chancellor J Kumar said since the matter is sub-judice, they would wait for the court verdict before taking any action. "The same issue prevails in a few minority institutions in the district too," he added.