AUT seeks action against Periyar varsity administration

Association complains against registrar for letters issued to staff, faculty

The Association of University Teachers has written to the Governor-Chancellor of Periyar University alleging that the Vice-Chancellor’s action was “subjectively biased” and “patently prejudiced” against some of the University staff and faculty.

In a letter dated March 13 the association has demanded that the Governor take corrective steps. A faculty member, K. Prem Kumar, was suspended for speaking to the media in his capacity as general secretary of THE Periyar University Teachers’ Association while the code of conduct was in force.

However, the Registrar of the University had addressed his letter to Mr. Kumar, a faculty member in the University.

Mr. Kumar had questioned the validity of re-employing a professor post-superannuation. The professor would be retiring on June 30 but the syndicate’s agenda for the meeting to be held on March 1 had included for discussion his re-employment until May 31, 2023.

Mr. Kumar had only sought the withdrawal of the item from the agenda in his official capacity in PUTA, he had told a mediaperson, the AUT said.

It pointed out that the registrar had earlier terminated the services of four non-teaching staff against whom an inquiry was pending. He had issued a letter to that effect. The staff went to court following which the registrar amended the clause pertaining to termination, saying it is subject to the outcome of the writ petition.

The court delivered a verdict in favour of the staff on Monday.

The AUT has pointed out that such actions are the result of having an in-charge Registrar. President P. Thirunavukkarasu said: “Suspension and termination cannot happen without syndicate’s approval, according to the University Act. The Syndicate meeting that was proposed to be held in Chennai on March 1, did not happen. The incumbent in-charge Registrar has been holding the post for 4.5 years while the tenure of an appointed Registrar is only three years.”

The Association members said they had sought a meeting with the V-C last week to resolve the issue but despite waiting for nearly three hours they could not meet him.