Bharathidasan University VC Search Committee Moves Forward with Interviews
The Vice-Chancellor search committee at Bharathidasan University (BDU) took decisive action this Tuesday. Members scheduled personal interviews for January 27. They plan to meet ten shortlisted candidates on that date.
This step aims to finalize a panel of three names. The committee will submit this panel to the Tamil Nadu government. The government will then appoint the next Vice-Chancellor for the university.
Legal Proceedings Create Uncertainty
This development occurs against a backdrop of legal challenges. The Supreme Court of India has delayed hearing a crucial petition from the Tamil Nadu government. The state government challenged a High Court order that stayed all Vice-Chancellor appointments.
The matter was initially expected to be heard this Tuesday. However, the Supreme Court has now tentatively listed it for February 24. This postponement adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing appointment processes across state universities.
Multiple members of the BDU search committee confirmed the January 27 interview date to the Times of India. "We have fixed January 27 for conducting personal interactions with the shortlisted applicants," they stated.
Other Universities Also Resume Search Processes
Bharathidasan University is not alone in moving forward. Search committee members from Bharathiar University announced they will hold an online meeting this Wednesday. Their goal is to shortlist ten candidates for interviews later in January.
For Periyar University, the interview process is even more imminent. Their search committee has scheduled interviews for January 24.
Shift in Appointment Authority and Transparency Concerns
Traditionally, the search committees submit their finalized panel to the Chancellor, who is the Governor of Tamil Nadu. Recent amendments by the state government have changed this dynamic. The amendments empower the state government itself over the Governor in the final appointment decision.
Furthermore, these search committees operate under specific university acts. They notably do not include nominees from the University Grants Commission (UGC). This absence has become a significant point of contention between the Governor's office and the state government.
Former Association of University Teachers (AUT) president, K Pandiyan, raised concerns about transparency. He noted that search committees typically publicize the number of applications received through nodal officers. This time, they did not follow that practice.
"It is understood that the committees chose not to publish these details to avoid anonymous complaints," Pandiyan explained. "However, this deviation has compromised transparency in the selection process."
Higher Education Secretary P Shankar was unavailable for comment on these developments.
Committees Reactivate After Government Order
The search committees for these three universities recently received a new lease on life. The Tamil Nadu government extended their tenures until March 21. These committees had been largely inactive since May of last year. The High Court's stay on VC appointments had left them in limbo.
Without official communication, committee members were uncertain about how to proceed. The government's latest order provided clear direction. It instructed the panels to resume their work immediately. The order clarified that the High Court's stay did not prevent the search committees from functioning.
This directive has now spurred the committees into action, leading to the scheduling of interviews and meetings across multiple universities in the state.
