Recruitment of staff and a few construction works undertaken by the Madurai Kamaraj University have come under the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) scanner.
Files pertaining to appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff in the last three years — after 2008 — have been submitted to the DVAC a few days ago, along with particulars of various civil works carried out on the university campus. “We were asked to furnish information on staff appointments and other matters. The files were submitted to the DVAC office last week,” a senior varsity official told The Hindu on Tuesday.
“A team from the DVAC met university officials in the first week of this month asking for files and specific particulars. It is processing the files and if it finds any ground for action, it will proceed,” a senior faculty member said.
Specific enquiries were made about recruitment of 90-odd assistant professors at one go during 2009-10 to fill up vacancies in various departments of the university. Particulars of non-teaching staff appointments also were submitted.
As asked by the DVAC, the university also provided the names and residential addresses of persons on the selection panels for teaching staff appointments. Also, information pertaining to the Educational Multimedia Research Centre was sought.
Annual budget
Meanwhile, the Finance Committee meeting to approve the annual budget of the university for 2012-13 will be held in Chennai on Wednesday. The Registrar in-charge, M. Rajiakodi, and some of the Syndicate members are attending the meeting which will be steered by Finance Secretary, Higher Education Secretary and others. The budget document will be placed for approval in the Senate meeting to be held here on February 29.
Following allegations of malpractices being reported at Periyar University in Salem, the distance education wing of MKU plans to strengthen its surveillance of its study centres across the country. “Our university's system is fool-proof because study centres are sanctioned to individuals only after a thorough inspection by Syndicate members. Moreover, the agreement will last only for two years and we can terminate the license at any time, if allegations of malpractices are reported,” A. Thanikodi, Director of Distance Education, said on Tuesday.
He opined that the Periyar University episode was an eye-opener for all universities which were on massive expansion mode of their distance education study centres. “All of us have to be extra careful and doubly vigilant. We have to take stock of the situation and plug loopholes,” Dr. Thanikodi observed.
There are 112 study centres for MKU in different States while it has 39 distance education centres in Tamil Nadu.
