Senior academic demands revamp of Madras University Syndicate
The Hindu
A former professor and a member of the Syndicate of the University of Madras has written to several former Vice-Chancellors seeking support to revise the composition of the Syndicate in the wake of severe financial crisis facing the institution
A former professor and a member of the Syndicate of the University of Madras has written to several former Vice-Chancellors seeking support to revise the composition of the Syndicate in the wake of severe financial crisis facing the institution. The university is reported to be struggling to pay salaries and pension dues and is functioning with around 40% faculty strength.
Recently, the Higher Education Department issued an order restraining the university from recruiting without the approval of the Finance Department.
G. Shanmugam, a retired professor, has suggested that the university revisit the need for the presence of ex-officio members in the Syndicate.
The Syndicate has 27 members of seven of them are bureaucrats. They include the Education Secretary, Law Secretary, Health Secretary, the directors of Higher Education, Technical Education, Medical Education and Legal Studies.
Apart from this, six members are elected by the Senate from among its members; five members are elected by the Academic Council from among its members; three members are nominated by the Governor-Chancellor; three university professors are nominated by the Chancellor and recommended by the V-C, besides an associate professor and an assistant professor, according to seniority in the university.
Mr. Shanmugam said the Law, Medicine and Technical Education officials were made ex-officio members when there was just one university. But with the government establishing separate universities for each discipline of study, their presence in the Syndicate had become “needless and redundant”. He has suggested that the Finance Secretary could be inducted instead. “This will help the university take decisions involving financial matters, for which government grants are expected, in the Syndicate itself.”
It would help the university to recover from the acute financial crisis it is facing, he said.
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