Vice-Chancellors have been appointed for the University of Madras and the Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU). Anna University, however, remains headless for the moment as Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, who is also the Chancellor of the universities, rejected the three names suggested by the university’s search committee.
A new search panel has been constituted for Anna University, and it will be headed by former Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha.
P. Duraisamy, former head of the Econometrics Department at the University of Madras, is the varsity’s new V-C, while P.P. Chellathurai is the MKU V-C.
Higher Education Minister K.P. Anbalagan said, “The qualifications of the three candidates fulfilled the UGC norms, but the Governor expects someone with greater eminence to be the V-C of the largest technical university in the country.”
On Friday, former VC of Anna University E. Balagurusamy wrote to Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao with guidelines for search committees.
His guidelines include asking the candidate to provide a plan of action for making the university a Centre of Excellence.
He has suggested that the committee present its report including a detailed write-up about the suitability of each candidate included in the panel. Prof. Balagurusamy has suggested that the search committee should visit the university and hold discussions with academic and administrative staff on issues concerning the varsity.
Lodha to head panel
The Minister also said that the new search committee for the university would be constituted as per a new ordinance that was promulgated on Saturday.
The Raj Bhavan, in a release later, said Justice R.M. Lodha had been appointed to head the search committee. With the Syndicate meeting scheduled for June 5, higher education officials said that the committee would be constituted in a couple of weeks and that a new VC would be appointed within four months.
Mr. Duraisamy, who has served in the University of Madras for 28 years, was the Sir Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan national Fellow of ICSSR with the Madras Institute of Development Studies between 2014 and 2016.
An eminent scholar, he has occupied several academic positions, including in the University Grants Commission (UGC), National Assessment and Accreditation Council, Ministry of Human Resources Development and the Planning Commission. He has also completed several projects for UGC, DRDO, UNDP and Rockefeller Foundation, besides holding administrative posts such as in-charge registrar of Madras University.
P. P. Chellathurai, former head of the Department of Youth Welfare Studies of MKU, received his Ph. D in history from the MKU in 1985 and another Ph. D in Management in 2014. The 62-year-old academic has held various positions in the University and has been Registrar of Periyar and Manonmaniam Sundaranar Universities. He has also served as an UGC expert committee member
