Trichy: Universities under the higher education department which are without vice-chancellors (VCs) would soon have in-charges as an interim arrangement, higher education minister P Viswanathan said. He also said the present govt, unlike the previous DMK govt, would adopt a “non-confrontational” approach with Governor to find a permanent solution to the issue.
The minister’s statement comes after a similar arrangement was recently put in place at Alagappa University in Karaikudi and Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli. The arrangement, according to the minister, will now be extended to the other 11 universities.
Speaking to reporters in Trichy after a consultation meeting with staff and students at Bharathidasan University, Viswanathan said that then Governor R N Ravi had insisted on the inclusion of a UGC nominee in the VC search panels, which became a bone of contention between DMK govt and Governor. Towards the end, DMK govt also initiated interview processes to appoint VCs to Bharathidasan, Bharathiar and Periyar universities. However, the matter got stalled in court.
“We (TVK govt) don’t want to fight with the governor. The problem is about appointing VCs. To do that, there is scope for a cordial relationship between the chancellor (governor), pro-chancellor (minister) and the government (CM) to solve this issue permanently,” the minister said.
A senior state higher education official told TOI that universities were gradually being asked to get their syndicates to initiate the process of appointing VC-in-charges.
“While there has been no official note from the higher education department, we were orally asked to find the names of the senior-most professors to be appointed as VC-in-charge. We expect an official note soon,” a senior official from Bharathidasan University said.
Professors welcomed the move. “Even if it is a temporary arrangement, it should help files move faster rather than being sent to Chennai every time for approval,” a professor said.
Former Alagappa University VC S Subbiah said except for Madurai Kamaraj University, University of Madras and Anna University, all other universities have provisions in their statutes for the syndicate to make the senior most professor as VC-in-charges. “In those three, the VC committee is the officiating committee and they can take the decision to appoint the VC-in-charge,” he said.
