Teachers association urges T.N. Higher Education Department to withhold approval of re-employment of Periyar University registrar post retirement

The Association of University Teachers urges the T.N. Higher Education Department to withhold retirement and re-employment approval for Mr. Thangavel.

The Association of University Teachers (AUT) on Thursday, February 1, 2024, urged the T.N. Higher Education Department to withhold its approval of the retirement and re-employment of Periyar University registrar (full additional charge) K. Thangavel.

AUT State president, M.S. Balamurugan, said that the association has demanded urgent and swift action on the alleged illegality surrounding the appointment of Mr. Thangavel as a professor of computer science, and into the mystery behind the Local Fund Audit (LFA) clearance granted.

Mr. Thangavel, the incumbent registrar, had allegedly abused his official position and camouflaged his appointment details since 2006 from the scrutiny of the Local Fund Audit. Mr. Thangavel’s appointment details have come to light now through RTI (Right to Information Act, 2005) replies from the LFA, which confirm the fact that Mr. Thangavel, a faculty member of mathematics at Gandhigram Rural University in Dindigul district, had been appointed as a professor of computer science at Periyar University, superseding four other contestants who had PhDs in computer science, Mr. Balamurugan said.

Further, the RTI replies also confirm that the Assistant Director, LFA in Salem, in brazen violation of rules, entertained an unofficial letter from Mr. Thangavel, requesting clearance of his decade-old audit objection -- and this had been cleared at “lightning” speed, Mr. Balamurugan alleged.

Urging the Higher Education Department to withhold its approval of the retirement of Mr. Thangavel, Mr. Balamurugan said that the university had placed on its agenda at the 114th Syndicate, held on November 6, 2023, the consideration and approval of the retirement of Mr. Thangavel from service on February 29, 2024, as superannuation at attaining the age of 60, and for the extension of his services until the end of the academic year, up to March 31, based on a re-employment basis as per the statutes of the university. It also had placed on the agenda, the disbursement of the pension scheme and other terminal benefits to Mr. Thangavel, as per G.O. No. 304, after an approval was obtained from the local fund audit department.

Mr. Balamurugan said it was pertinent to note that the incumbent administration had allegedly caused a loss to exchequer to the tune of ₹86 lakhs by granting re-employment after superannuation to preferred teachers for extraneous reasons.

Last month, in a letter to Higher Education Minister R.S. Raja Kannappan, the AUT had said the incumbent officers of Periyar University, including the Vice Chancellor R. Jagannathan and the registrar-in charge K. Thangavel, should be dispensed with, to safeguard the interests of the University and of higher education.