College teachers lay siege to collegiate education office

TIRUNELVELI

Seeking action against the managements and the principals of a few colleges which were allegedly functioning in violation of established norms, members of Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers’ Association (MUTA) laid siege to the office of Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education in Pettai here on Wednesday.

The protesting teachers, led by S. Nagarajan, general secretary, MUTA, said the management of St. Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, being run by the Jesuit priests, was refusing to appoint the senior-most professors as ‘Heads of Departments’ and instead was appointing the junior-most and “unapproved” faculty members as the Department Heads.

The college suspended two senior professors of the Department of Botany after fabricating fake charges and was admitting students without following the norms of the University Grants Commission and the Tamil Nadu government, they alleged.

Appointing a retired professor as Controller of Examinations, the college management allowed those who had crossed the age of 65 to work as teachers or directors of the special wings.

They said the management of Vivekananda College, Agastheeswaram in Kanniyakumari district, had denied the Head of the Department post for a senior faculty member against the established norms of the Tamil Nadu Private Colleges Regulation Act.

The management of St. Jude’s College, Thoothoor, also in Kanniyakumari district, after placing under suspension its Principal, was refusing to allow him to even enter the college premises even after the affected professor had obtained a stay from court on the college’s order.

“Even though all these issues that have seriously affected the smooth functioning of these colleges had been brought to the knowledge of the Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education, Director of Collegiate Education, Secretary for Higher Education, Minister for Higher Education and the UGC, no corrective measure has been initiated,” said Dr. Nagarajan.

Around 50 professors of various affiliated colleges of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University participated in the agitation which was withdrawn after a petition was submitted in the Office of Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education.