The interim injunction of the Madras High Court, restraining the Madras University Vice Chancellor (VC) from appointing a new Registrar, has come at a time when the entire process has been under a cloud for violation of conventions and overlooking background of the candidates short-listed.
Senior professors indicated that with Vice Chancellor G Thiruvasagam being a part of the selection committee that interviewed candidates and zeroed in on the person for the post, the process was bound to be put on hold in the backdrop of the order. Therefore, it was to be seen whether the selection would be placed before the Syndicate on Wednesday.
As the petition in the court pointed out, serious questions were raised on the speed at which the process was carried out by Thiruvasagam, who was set to complete his tenure as VC in October. Former Vice Chancellors, who spoke to Express earlier, said that it was a long-held convention that a VC completing the tenure should refrain from making any appointments at least three months prior to leaving office.
This also posed the question that if Statutes did restrain a VC from making appointments at the end of his tenure, would the process to select the director for Distance Education, interviews for which were also held on Tuesday, be valid. Many of those who attended the interviews for the post of Registrar also appeared for the interviews conducted to select the director of Distance Education in the afternoon.
The interviews on Tuesday were also muddled thanks to the Governor’s nominee abstaining from the process after writing a letter that he was unhappy at not being consulted on the interview dates. Senior professors also pointed out that a more immediate issue for the university was the depleting faculty strength. Therefore, going ahead with the appointment of Registrar, without filling vacant faculty positions, was ill-advised, they said.
Thiruvasagam could not be reached for comments.
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