Uproar at Madurai Kamaraj University's Academic Council meeting

Members level charges against Vice Chancellor Kalyani Mathivanan that she "victimised" a few students and faculty

The Vice-Chancellor of the Madurai Kamaraj University said at the Academic Council meeting that ramps had been constructed in several buildings and steps had already been initiated to make the campus differently abled friendly. File Photo

Uproar lasted for nearly an hour at Madurai Kamaraj University’s Academic Council meeting on Wednesday, as some of the members levelled charges against Vice-Chancellor Kalyani Mathivanan that she “victimised” a few students and faculty.

Immediately after Dr.Mathivanan presented the chairperson’s report, S. Vivekanandan, an Academic Council member and president of Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers’ Association (MUTA), demanded that the university authorities to revoke the action initiated against non-teaching staff M. Parthasarathy, T. Akilan and K. Sankar.

He later asked the authorities to permit research scholars J. Arun and C. Pandiarajan to complete their Ph.D in the MKU and permit post-doctoral fellow Eswari Pandaranayaka to continue her post-doctoral programme in the university.

“There is a highly deplorable trend in the MKU where faculty members are suspended based on anonymous petitions without enquiry. Though there are no specific charges against them, the non-teaching staff were transferred to Andipatti, Vedasandur and Kottur. This is nothing but victimisation,” Mr.Vivekanandan said.

The Vice-Chancellor and the members of the Syndicate vehemently opposed the charges and affirmed that the proceedings were initiated against the faculty after an enquiry.

“The non-teaching staff were transferred for administrative reasons,” the Vice-Chancellor said.

After the resolutions on academic issues were passed at the meeting, the Council members proposed resolutions on improving the service condition of the faculty in self-financing colleges and constituent colleges.

“The concept of self-financing colleges needs to be given a rethink as private self-financing colleges are becoming highly commercialised. The MKU should take action against the erring self-financing colleges. The salary limit has to be enhanced for the staff of self-financing and constituent colleges as per the UGC guidelines,” said N. Ezhil, a member of the Council.

N. Murali, another Council member, sought the appointment of a committee by the Senate to review the Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) of the MKU.

Academic Council member R. Usha requested authorities to improve facilities for the benefit of the differently abled students and staff in the university.

The Vice-Chancellor said ramps had been constructed in several buildings and steps had already been initiated to make the campus differently abled friendly.