Over 100 academics in fray for Annamalai University VC post

State Governor Banwarilal Purohit, also the Chancellor of the universities, had appointed Justice CV Ramulu, former judge of Andhra Pradesh High Court, as member of the search committee of Annamalai University for recommending a panel of three names to the Chancellor for appointment as the next vice chancellor. 

The other members of the committee are Dr C Thangamuthu, former vice-chancellor of Bharathidasan University, the syndicate nominee SP Elangovan, an IAS official who was the former Chairman and Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Transport Development Finance. 

“So far, as many as 116 candidates have applied for the post of vice chancellor in response to the notification issued in March second week,” Annamalai University sources told DTNext on Friday, and added: “An application was received even from a person hailing from Srinagar.” 

Among the candidates who have applied for the VC post, more than 70 are from Tamil Nadu itself. Of these, more than 20 are from Chennai, sources added. The functions of the search committee include maximising the pool of candidates by a notification of the vacancy in newspapers and university website and by inviting nominations from distinguished academicians. 

After scrutinising the applications, the committee would prepare a panel of three candidates, with a brief write-up explaining their suitability, and submit it to the Chancellor to take a final decision. The incumbent Annamalai University vice chancellor, S Manian, is due to retire from the post on May 27. 

Annamalai University, established in 1929 under the Annamalai University Act, is the only unitary, residential, multi-faculty university in Tamil Nadu.