THANJAVUR: Acting on a report submitted by a three-member expert committee that was constituted to inquire into complaints of irregularities in the appointment of faculty members at Tamil University here during 2017 and 2018, Governor RN Ravi – who is also its chancellor – has directed the varsity administration for action.
The governor’s office communication dated February 1, 2023 enlists action to be taken against the named 34 faculty members, in compliance with university rules, based on the report by the expert committee that was constituted under the then governor’s direction in 2021.
The report of the committee, a copy of which is available with TNIE, lists various deviations in the appointments, including non-adherence to communal roster, appointment of those not having the required academic qualifications to select departments, those who had crossed maximum age limit, downgrading of 11 posts of Professor and one Associate Professor without valid reasons and careless totalling of marks by selection committees.
The committee comprising A K Kumaraguru, former vice-chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, B Padmanabha Pillai, former professor of Gandhigram University, and V Veerapandian, retired joint director of local fund audit department, altogether flagged deviation of norms in appointment of 34 faculty members. They were for the posts of 12 Professors, 13 Associate Professors and nine Assistant Professors.
Senior officials at Tamil University said that the governor’s office communication is being processed. A copy of the expert committee was also shared with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, they added.
It may be noted that the Thanjavur unit of DVAC had after a preliminary inquiry into complaints of irregularities in the appointments registered an FIR on November 14, 2019. The FIR had named as accused four officials of the university, including G Baskaran, who served as vice-chancellor of Tamil University during 2015-18. The FIR also pointed out attempts of illegal gratification to the tune of up to `40 lakh from several candidates by the accused. The DVAC is continuing investigation.
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Of the 34 faculty members named in the probe report, 12 are professors, 13 associate professors and nine of them are assistant professors