The Hindu : Researchers demand reversal of lecturer appointments

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 16, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Researchers demand reversal of lecturer appointments

By K. Ramachandran

CHENNAI Dec. 15. Research students of the University of Madras have welcomed the Government ordering an enquiry into allegations of malpractice and flouting of reservation norms in lecturer appointments and demanded that all appointments made since 2000 be reversed and a police probe initiated.

The Madras University Researchers Forum has for two years been disputing the university claim that all regulations and reservation norms were followed in the 70-plus appointments made in November 2000 and March-April 2002.

They have joined issue with the Professors Forum of Madras University (PFMU), which has all along been maintaining that the Supreme Court order (that each cadre and department should be treated as a separate unit for following reservation norms) and the Government orders had been followed strictly. The PFMU also contends that a senior IAS officer from the TN Public Service Commission has been co-opted in the appointments committee.

However, the Researchers Forum members say the entire argument apparently looks justified, but is wrong. It would apply only if the appointments have been made regularly all these years as and when the vacancies arose. But the fact is no appointments have been made since 1987. So the accumulated backlog in appointments for reserved classes (as per the communal roster) should have been filled in 2000. But in the 65 appointments made in November 2000, the backlog was completely ignored, not one seat was reserved for the BC and ST communities or for women.

Senior researchers and those working as part-time lecturers in the university (and awaiting regular appointment) also refuse to accept the argument that the appointments followed government orders. They say the G.O No. 85 of 6-5-2000 is applicable only to the subordinate services, appointments for which were done by the TNPSC.

After the appointments ended, "45 of the 65 appointees had come from OC sections, no BC, only two from MBC categories, 18 from SC and none from ST, as also nil from among women," the Forum of Backward Classes and the Forum for the Protection of BC SC ST and Minorities of Tamil Nadu said.

In memoranda submitted to the Chief Minister last year and to the Chancellor-Governor in February this year, the "affected and meritorious candidates for teacher appointments" contended that 27 vacancies had accumulated as backlog among the reserved sections. But the then Vice-Chancellor "hastily filled the vacancies with persons of his choice" a few weeks before his tenure ended in June 2002. Nepotism and corruption had ruled the roost in the appointments made in November 2000 and this year. For example, the son of a Syndicate member had been appointed, overlooking more meritorious candidates. In other departments also, persons close to powerful persons had been appointed without merit, they alleged.

In fact, the June 2001 memorandum submitted by the Researchers Forum contained names of persons who allegedly passed on huge sums of money or received the money to get the appointments. Later, organisations representing the BCs and MBCs staged hunger strikes, carried on a poster campaign and held demonstrations highlighting their grievances.

They note that in 1996, the University's advertisements publicising the recruitment (which was later stopped due to legal tangles) show how each vacancy was going to be filled as per the communal roster. This trend was given the goby in advertisements given before the November 2000 and April 2002 appointments.

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