Four-member team to manage University of Madras – The Hindu

In an unusual decision, a Convenor Committee of even-number composition was constituted on Friday to oversee the affairs of the University of Madras till a successor to incumbent Vice-Chancellor P. Duraisamy was chosen.

Mr. Duraisamy’s three-year tenure would end on Tuesday next week. Normally the committee comprises of odd-number composition — three or five members — to avoid a tie between members in decision making process.

The university Syndicate constituted a four-member Convenor Committee comprising Higher Education Secretary Apoorva (Chairman), Commissioner of Technical Education K Vivekanandan, MOP Vaishnav College for Women principal Lalitha Balakrishnan and University of Madras Head of Indian History Department S.S. Sundaram.

Of them Prof. Sundaram was elected by Syndicate members as another candidate E. Murugan’s name was proposed by a member. Sources said usually the university goes in for a three or five member committee as this gives voting rights for the chairman in the event an issue is not resolved.

A syndicate member said the Higher Education Secretary felt there was no need to follow this norm as the committee’s work would be limited to only overseeing day-to-day functioning for a few weeks.

The colleges would not function until September 1, by which time a new V-C would be appointed, she had informed the Syndicate, the member said.

Granting affiliation

Meanwhile, the syndicate approved grant of affiliation to new courses and additional sections.

This will not apply to new colleges for which inspection has to be conducted. Mr. Duraisamy said the Syndicate took up the matter so that the students did not lose out.

The arts and science colleges could admit 3,000 additional students. The syndicate has taken undertakings from colleges that provisional affiliation was being given subject to the condition that the colleges fulfil the requirements for the process.

The university called for 30 posts of faculty but due to court cases the appointments had not been made. The syndicate members raised the issue of whether the appointments would be made in the light of the new order issued by the government on recruitment. Mr. Duraisamy said these were existing posts for which advertisements had been placed already. Only new posts for any proposed new departments would not be possible.

The Syndicate did not take up the University’s budget for discussion, however. A member said in view of the COVID-19 restrictions the discussion on budget was not taken up.

Mr. Duraisamy said the Budget would be presented to the Senate whenever it met. “Once the lockdown is lifted the members are expected to meet. The meeting was to be held in March-end and has only been postponed,” he said.