Higher education secretary calling shots in Madras University recruitments, promotions wrong: Professors’ forum

CHENNAI: With the career promotion interviews of professors for the University of Madras set to begin soon, a section of the faculty has alleged continued violations of rules in promotions and appointments.

The faculty has petitioned the Syndicate Convener Committee, which is currently discharging the functions of the Vice-Chancellor, as the post is lying vacant, to intervene.

A memorandum sent by the Professors’ Forum of Madras University said that promotions under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) had been conducted in the absence of a Vice Chancellor, even though university statutes require the VC to chair such selection committees.

Currently, with no VC in place, the Convener Committee of the Syndicate, headed by Higher Education Secretary P Shankar, IAS, oversees the university’s administration. Professors argue that while the Secretary can manage routine affairs, he cannot make policy-level decisions such as promotions or recruitments.

“The Higher Education Secretary is not empowered to recruit nor take any policy-level decisions. He can only take care of the daily affairs of the institution. If he carries out the recruitment process, it is a violation of UGC norms and it goes against his brief,” said a professor, requesting anonymity.

CAS is the UGC-mandated system through which faculty are promoted from assistant to associate professor or professor rank based on service and academic performance, rather than through open recruitment. Such promotions must be cleared by a selection committee headed by the Vice-Chancellor, as per norms.

The Forum also highlighted inconsistencies in the rotation of head of department posts, noting that while some departments adhere to a one-year tenure, others extend it to two years. It further alleged that junior faculty had been favoured for non-statutory positions such as deans, directors and coordinators, instead of appointments being made on the basis of seniority and merit.

It also questioned the nomination of representatives to the governing bodies of affiliated colleges. Under Statute 21(a) of the university calendar, the varsity must nominate qualified faculty to these posts for a period of three years. The forum further alleged that the exercise has been non-transparent, with over 45 faculty members from affiliated colleges themselves being chosen, while senior university professors were being overlooked.

The professors’ forum has urged the convener committee to restore transparency and ensure that promotions and appointments are carried out strictly in accordance with university statutes and UGC norms.