Anna University VC post: Association welcomes Guv’s decision

In a letter to the Governor, the association has suggested that the nominees for the VC should have a minimum of 10 years’ experience as a university professor as per the mandate of the University Grants Commission. 

“We had earlier demanded to disband the VC search committee after Baskar, the chairman of the panel, met AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala, which we thought was unethical. Moreover, there was no engineering graduate as member in the previous committee that was formed to identify the head for the state’s premier engineering institution,” said Arul Aram, president of AUTA, adding that the Governor must select an expert like M Anandakrishnan for the top post of the university. On May 27, vice chancellors were appointed for Madras and Madurai Kamaraj universities. However, the Governor rejected all the three names proposed for the post of VC of Anna University. He wanted an ordinance to revise the rules for the Vice Chancellor selection for all universities, except Madras University. 

Henceforth, the search panel will have a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge or an eminent educationalist nominated by the Governor. Adhering to this practice, Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao nominated former Supreme Court judge RM Lodha as the convenor of the new search committee.