The Hindu : Delay impeding policy decisions: AUT

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 20, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Delay impeding policy decisions: AUT

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, FEB. 19. The Association of University Teachers (AUT) has expressed concern over the `delay' in appointment of Vice-Chancellors for the Bharatidasan (Tiruchi) and Periyar (Salem) universities.

The posts have been lying vacant since October 2003 (when the Vice-Chancellors retired), the AUT-Tamil Nadu general secretary, P. Jayagandhi, said in a release detailing the resolutions adopted by the central executive, which met here on February 15. The meeting said statutory nominations to `search committees' (to identify suitable candidates) by the Senate and Syndicate had been completed. The delay was "impeding important administrative and policy decisions". The convener (a government nominee in the search committee) had just been named by the government for the Bharathidasan University, but the person for Periyar University was yet to be identified. The AUT urged the Government to expedite the formation of the search committee to enable the appointment of Vice-Chancellors.

Academic circles point out that the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University is also without a Vice-Chancellor, since the retirement of P. Audiseshan more than three months ago. A search committee has been constituted and the process of selection is on, say informed sources.

Besides, the newly-designated National Institute of Technology — Tiruchi, (formerly Regional Engineering College), is yet to get a full-time director, an appointment to be done by the Centre. The selection process here too is on.

The AUT also urged the Government to fill vacancies of posts of joint director in the Chennai and Tiruchi regions and vacancies of staff in joint directorates of collegiate education.

The executive also expressed concern over non-filling of over 2,000 teacher posts in aided colleges, caused by death or retirement. Some departments offering postgraduate courses had only one or two teachers.

Though the Government declared that its austerity measures would not apply to Police, Health and Education departments, steps were not taken to fill the vacancies, Mr. Jayagandhi said.

The AUT wanted the Government to regularise the period of suspension in July 2003 of teachers in aided colleges to enable them draw their increments.

The meeting welcomed reinstatement all 999 dismissed government employees and teachers and the reduction of quantum of punishment.

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