CHENNAI: Following opposition from various quarters including from political outfits in Tamil Nadu, the Anna University has withdrawn its proposal to engage temporary teaching staff on daily wages.

In its circular on November 20, the registrar of Anna University J Prakash, had said that temporary teaching staff members could be engaged on daily wages by outsourcing through a manpower agency.

“For projects, if needed, temporary staff may be engaged only for the duration of the project and their wages should be met out of the project fund only,” the circular had said. However, this became controversial, and the university released a re-joinder undersigned by the registrar on Friday (November 22) stating that it was due to “lack of attention, it was mistakenly” included the recruitment of teaching staff on daily wages through manpower agency”.

Condemning the university authorities, P Thirunavukkarasu, vice chairman, Association of University Teachers (AUT), told DT Next that the concept of recruiting temporary teaching staff was wrong, “All teaching staff should be recruited as per the norms laid by the State Higher Education Department. Though the circular was withdrawn, such initiatives should not be taken by the institution,” he added.

Professor Arul Aram, Anna University, department of media sciences, and also the president of Anna University Teachers Association, concurred, and added: “Generally, it’s not a good idea to appoint temporary teaching staff through a third party. The recruitment should be done only in consultation with senior faculties in the university, which is one of the basic rules.”