The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Vellore News : Varsity V-C draws flak for `unilateral' decisions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Vellore

Varsity V-C draws flak for `unilateral' decisions

P.V.V. Murthi

Nominated member seeks Governor's intervention

VELLORE: A nominated member of the Academic Council of the Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore, Jegadish Gandhi, has expressed dismay over the manner in which the Vice-Chancellor, A. Susheela Thirumaran, adjourned the Council meeting on April 16 "without transacting any proper business."

In a memorandum to the Governor, S.S. Barnala, who is the Chancellor of the university, Dr. Gandhi said that after the Vice-Chancellor's introductory remarks, the members raised the following points for clarification from the Chair: "Without informing the Academic Council members, the presence of the chairmen of various Boards of Studies as special invitees to the Academic Council meeting is not proper; despite many requests and resolutions in the last two Academic Council meetings held on March 27, 2004 and October 30, 2004 and the Syndicate meeting held on April 2, 2005, the Boards have not been reconstituted with properly qualified and experienced staff members; considering the permission given to the media for the past two Academic Council meetings, it is illogical not to allow them to the present meeting."

`No discussion'

Without giving a proper explanation to the above points and permitting a discussion of the academic resolutions, the Vice-Chancellor resolved that all items, numbering 33 in the agenda, as approved and abruptly declared the meeting closed, Dr. Gandhi said.

"This unilateral decision is against the spirit of freedom of discussion and the interest of the student community."

Referring to resolution no. 33, slated to be moved by a member, R. Venugopal, that the university be requested to decide whether it was going to have the semester system or not from the academic year 2005-06, he said that with the V-C's approval of all items in the agenda it was not clear whether the university would follow the semester system or not.

He, therefore, requested the Governor to intervene in the issue in the larger interest of the students and the academic community.

Asked for her comments, Dr. Thirumaran said the agenda for the Council meeting contained the resolution that the semester system should be introduced for all post-graduate courses from 2005-06.

On the allegation that the resolutions were approved without any discussion, she said that some members raised points of order "for which the University Act did not have any provision."

Hence, there could not be any discussion.

The members also raised points of order on the denial of permission to the media to cover the proceedings. The University Act did not provide for media coverage of the meetings. At its meeting held on December 1, 2004, the Syndicate passed a resolution that nobody connected with the university should go to the media without the university's prior approval.

Referring to the presence of the chairmen of the Boards of Studies at the meeting, Dr. Thirumaran said they had been invited to reply to questions on the syllabi for various courses.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News Update

Stories in this Section

Two sculptures found in Polur taluk

Varsity V-C draws flak for `unilateral' decisions