BREWING DISCONTENT: Representatives of teachers organisations protest against Madras University Vice-Chancellor S.P.Thyagarajan on the university premises on Wednesday, demanding that he opt out of addressing a senate meeting. — PHOTO: K.V.SRI NIVASAN

CHENNAI: With faculty protests becoming the norm rather than the exception on university campuses across the State, there is considerable apprehension in academic circles on whether varsities are becoming soft targets for groupism and internal politicking.

The latest example was the gheraoing on Wednesday of the outgoing Madras University Vice-Chancellor S.P. Thyagarajan during a Senate meeting. Charges against him ranged from misappropriation of funds to autocratic functioning, all of which the VC denies. Nothing new for the 150-year-old university , which has witnessed VCs before him — P.T. Manoharan in 1999 and S. Ignacimuthu in 2003 — lay down office in the face of teacher groupism.

Educationists, however, say even smaller universities are becoming increasingly vulnerable, leaving a trail of disrupted academic schedules and non-functional educational apparatus. At the Bharathiyar University, Periyar University and the fledgling Thiruvalluvar University, active discontent is a clear indicator of the failure of a consultative process.

"Not for second term"

Mr. Thyagarajan himself sees the discontent as an attempt to derail the "extraordinarily good work" the university has been doing in the past three years and to ensure he does not return for a second term. "I am not interested in a second term for, there are other duties awaiting me as an academician. In fact, I would recommend that statutory amendments be made to ensure that a VC's tenure does not extend beyond one term," he told The Hindu, while asserting that he would not give in to pressure tactics and step down. He is scheduled to demit office on September 6, a day after the 150th year celebrations at the historic university.

Pointing out that the Anna University and the Indian Institute of Technology have remained free of such problems for several years, M. Anandakrishnan, chairman of the Madras Institute of Development Studies, says faculty discontent affects universities in three ways: funding agencies such as the University Grants Commission think twice before sanctioning funds, potential employers stay away and academic schedules go haywire.

"Universities have to initiate a multi-pronged consultative mechanism involving the management, faculty, students and parents to ensure democratic decision-making.

Also, VCs have to be either given one full five-year term or two consecutive three-year terms, if he/she warrants it, to ensure continuity," he adds. "Despite a search committee for nominating the VC, sections of the faculty are unhappy that the nominee will be a political appointee," a senior faculty member of the Bharathiyar University says.

Teacher associations are unwilling to tone down protests. They point out disturbing trends in political favouritism-induced varsity appointments: while the Vellore-based Thiruvalluvar University has not had a VC or a Registrar from October 2005, Salem-based Periyar University has been without a Registrar for the same period. "None of the VCs in State Universities functions in a democratic manner and the Syndicates and Senates are often bypassed in decision making. College affiliations are done arbitrarily and attendance norms flouted," says N. Senthamarai, president of the Association of University Teachers.

As discontent brews, students become unwitting casualties. "At least three lecture sessions in the past week were cancelled because lecturers kept away. This is the worst thing that can happen at the start of an academic year," complained a Bharathiyar University student.

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