Joint Action Council of College Teachers (JAC), which includes four major teaching and non-teaching college staff associations in Tamil Nadu, has strongly condemned the recent order by Higher Education Department, which made government approval mandatory for Principals and teachers of government and aided colleges to contest the elections of academic bodies of universities like Senate, Syndicate and Academic Council.
The JAC has termed the order as “undemocratic” and to be subverting the procedures and rights ensured in the statutes of the universities in Tamil Nadu.
Citing a letter by the Director of Collegiate Education, the government order issued on July 15, 2016 had said that contesting the elections without permission from the government had affected the educational atmosphere prevailing in institutions and resulted in a situation, which had become ‘uncontrollable’.
Taking strong exception to this, the JAC had said that the government order was to “strangulate” the democratic voices from being heard in academic bodies of the universities.
The association said that the government order went against the statutes of the universities, passed by the legislative Assembly, which ensured diverse participation of stakeholders in the administration, formulation of syllabi and research-related decisions in universities.
It pointed out that in States like Kerala, even representatives of students are part of the Senate, Syndicate and Academic Council.
Demanding the government to immediately repeal the government order, the JAC urged academicians and other associations to join the call in opposing the order, which it termed as being against democracy and law.
