Senate members walk out as VC refuses to hear them
About 15 members staged a walkout at the senate meeting held at Madurai Kamaraj University on Thursday, protesting against ViceChancellor J. Kumar who repeatedly stopped them from raising various issues.
The senate members said they were not happy with the way the VC treated them, as he asked those who came forward to voice their opinion to “go back to your seat.”
“Insufficient funds and nonpayment of salaries are some of the serious issues that must be discussed in an open forum like senate meeting, but the VC treated everyone very harshly and refused to hear us,” said P. Ponramu, Assistant Professor, Government Arts College, Melur. However, the protesting members returned to the meeting after officials pacified them.
A. Velanganni Joseph, Professor and Head, Department of Youth Welfare Studies, MKU, said around 60 nonteaching staff members had not received salary for three months even after the government issued the funds.
“Mr. Kumar is pointing at the stay order passed by the Madras High Court for holding back the salary. But the stay was only to hold back the refixed salary. It was a simple thing to follow what the court says, but instead the VC blames the court order for not paying them,” he added.
However, Mr. Kumar said he had sought legal opinion regarding the court’s order, and he would be able to act only according to that.
Issue of externals
A. Chandra Bose, Assistant Professor at The Madura College, raised the issue of externals not being paid the remuneration for more than three years.
“A sum of ₹33.91 lakh is to be given to the externals who evaluated Ph.D. theses. Out of the total amount, a bill for ₹16 lakh was passed, but I learn that even that amount has not been disbursed to the externals,” he added.
Mr. Bose said how would the externals give their acceptance for evaluation if they were not given the remuneration. “The theses under evaluation will also be delayed if they are not paid on time,” he said.
The members urged the board to conduct workshops for research guides and scholars whenever norms for Ph.D registration were updated.
“As the norms are updated frequently by the UGC, even guides are confused, which usually causes delay in the registration process,” they said.
Demands for expeditious issue of genuinity certificate for newly joined professors and regulation of ‘Naan Mudhalvan,’ scheme, which were raised during the previous meetings, were also reiterated.