At the recent academic council, several professors of the Madras University took up the issue of constitution of a panel for the inspection of infrastructure and selection of faculty and principals in affiliated colleges.
A section of professors said the Vice-Chancellor (V-C) had breached convention and tradition by nominating professors from other universities and central institutions in the panel. Some of them felt that it belittled the university’s stature and its autonomy.
On December 17, the Madras University constituted a three-member panel, headed by M. Thenmozhi, professor of finance in the Department of Management Studies at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. The other two members were R. Geetha, Principal of S.D.N.B. Vaishnav College and Beulah Rachel Rajarathnamani, head in-charge of Journalism department in the University. The committee would inspect the DDGD Vaishnav College to grant continuous affiliation for its courses like BSc Statistics, BCom (including marketing, management, finance, accounting, taxation and corporate secretaryship) and BA Journalism.
On December 23, the university constituted a five-member panel of experts for C.M. Annamalai Arts and Science College for Women in Pallipattu village in Tiruvallur. The members include a V-C nominee under the category of SC/ST/Women/differently abled person and two nominees of which one should not be connected in any manner with the university. The rest of the members will be principals of colleges, affiliated to the university and an educationist.
The V-C nominee included a professor from IIT Madras and for the educationist, he had approved of a professor from the university and a professor from SRM University.
The contention of a group of professors is that there are sufficient subject experts in the university, who could be a part of the panel. The central institutions’ syllabi is different from that of a State University, they contended. Some senior professors, however, say the V-C was not violating any convention. They pointed out that the previous V-C, R. Duraisamy, had also constituted panels with professors from IIT Madras.
A senior professor from an affiliated college said being part of such panels not only brings a small monetary benefit but also visibility among peers. “Being nominated to such panels would bring them personal elevation and professors would use it for their future development. The inclusion of professors from outside has denied them the opportunity,” he said.
At the meeting, the V-C had said he had done it in the best interest of the institution. He had chosen professors from the best ranked institution in the country. He also said he had only followed his predecessor’s example.
