Madurai Kamaraj University VC search panel member’s appointment quashed

A division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad while citing the first bench order on June 14, 2018 setting aside the appointment of Professor P P Chelladurai as VC of MKU citing blatant violation of rules, said, “In the case on hand, the senate nominee to the search committee is stated to have been done by following the procedure as contemplated in the Act. But the procedure in respect of Syndicate nominee has not been followed by issuing a notification and 14 days’ time was not given.”

“When the convener committee has directed a meeting of syndicate on June 16, within two days after the pronouncement of the Judgment by the First Bench to select syndicate nominee there is nothing to indicate as to why the procedure contemplated for selection of nominee is not followed. The impugned order of appointment of Dr C Thangamuthu as syndicate nominee for the search committee is set-aside,” the bench added while noting that the first bench had granted three months to constitute a search committee by following procedures. 

Mahalingam, an MKU alumni, had moved the plea alleging that the Government officials who are holding ex-officio position as syndicate members of MKU have exhibited their total disregard for the statute and in undue haste and highhanded manner appointed Thangamuthu as the syndicate nominee for the VC search committee.

Despite June 16 being a public holiday, the six ex-officio members of the MKU syndicate travelled from Chennai to Madurai and nominated and appointed Thangamuthu without issuing any notice to the Syndicate members. While the statute mandates publication of notification in the gazette for constitution of the Committee and that the last date for filing nomination must be fixed at least 14 days after the notification’s publication, none of it were followed, the petitioner had submitted.