Tiruvalluvar University flouts SOPs, holds meeting on reopening

Tiruvalluvar University, which should act as a model for affiliated colleges, flouted government stipulated rules on its campus by organising a meeting on Wednesday and failed to follow the standard operating procedures prescribed for COVID control, revealed official sources.

According to a circular dated September 1, issued by the registrar (in charge), all deans, directors, department heads and faculty were asked to attend a meeting chaired by the Vice-Chancellor in the university auditorium “at 10.30 am without fail and delay.”

The meeting was ostensibly to encourage students and staff on the first day of reopening after 18-month pandemic-induced hiatus. The meeting which started at 10.30 am continued till 1.15 pm. What shocked staff was that in addition to participants being seated without social distancing, many did not wear masks and neither was any sanitizer provided when they entered the hall.

The meeting was also against a circular dated August 31 issued by Directorate of Collegiate Education ordering that according to para 2.2 of the SOP it had specifically ordered that cultural activities, social gatherings, seminars, workshops, meetings etc. should not be conducted within the campus during the lockdown which was still in force. “Violation of these instructions will be viewed seriously under the Disaster Management Act 2005,” the circular added. Sources revealed that “though we tried to explain to the V-C that holding a meeting was against the government circular, she downplayed it and went ahead with the meeting.”

Meanwhile, a medical team which arrived from the Tiruvalam PHC to conduct a vaccination camp on the campus was made to cool its heels till an announcement was made in the middle of the meeting asking those needing vaccination to utilize the services of the PHC team.

Officials are now on tenterhooks wondering what action the government will initiate against the university for such brazen violation of pandemic regulations.