COIMBATORE: Around 100 associate professors of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) staged a sit-in in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s office in Coimbatore on Thursday, condemning the denial of promotions under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS).
One of the protesters said TNAU had introduced a rule in October 2022 requiring faculty to publish at least one paper annually in a NAAS-listed journal to be eligible for promotion as professor.
The norm, however, was enforced only last year, during which 140 faculty members were promoted. Traditionally, three years of service and a CAS score of 70 out of 110 — based on research, teaching, and institutional contributions — were considered sufficient.
In September, interviews were conducted for 330 associate professors across departments and Krishi Vigyan Kendras. Results announced on Wednesday promoted only 25 candidates who had published papers every year in the last three years, leaving others disqualified despite strong CAS scores.
Faculty members argued that neither UGC nor ICAR mandates such a rule and said compulsory annual publication compromised research quality. TNAU Acting VC R Thamizh Vendan said the policy was framed by the Board of Management in 2022 to enhance NIRF rankings, but assured the university was exploring alternatives.