The three-member panel appointed to select the Vice-Chancellor for the University of Madras conducted interview for the aspirants on Tuesday.
Sources said 12 persons, including three women, had been shortlisted for the interview from among the 177 applicants.
The Director of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) and an emeritus scientist from the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research were among the shortlisted candidates. The panel had steered clear of former V-Cs who had applied for the post.
According to those in the know of the selection process, as many as 60 candidates were chosen from among the applicants. Another shortlist of 12 candidates was prepared a week before the final interview.
The shortlisted aspirants included several senior professors and some from other organisations who had either studied or worked in the University. The prestigious 163-year-old institution has been under serious financial trouble in the past 15 years, so much so, that in the last few years the university teachers’ body regularly protested against mismanagement of its finances.
However, the previous V-C P. Duraisamy set the house in order by introducing certain reforms, which helped the university recover its financial stability to some extent.
Several senior academicians though were not happy with the selection process as they felt it was not transparent. One of the senior academicians said the selection committee should have released academic and achievement scores so that peers could assess the capabilities of the candidates. The interaction with the panelists lasted 30 minutes for each candidate.
Search panel chairman Jagadeesh Kumar participated via video conferencing from Delhi, while the other two members P. Ramasami and P. Maruthamuthu were physically present.
