Madras University VC search panel narrows down names

TIMES OF INDIA

CHENNAI: Around 20-25 candidates have been short-listed on Thursday by the three-member search panel constituted by the state government to finalise the vice-chancellor for University of Madras.

Although the panel members remained tight-lipped regarding the names, government sources indicated that former UNOM syndicate member Sriman Narayanan, former Criminology Head of Department(HoD) Thilagaraj and UGC vice-chairman H Devaraj are front-runners.

The meeting started at 11am and ended at around 3pm. A panel member said the list was made according to University Grants Commission (UGC) norms. "We shall be meeting again next week, hopefully to narrow down on the final short-list," the member said.

The going rate for the UNOM VC post has shot up to from Rs 4 crore to around Rs 8-12 crore, a top source in the university said. "This is because there are more than 100 professor vacancies, the going rate for each of which is around Rs 30 lakh," the source added.

The three member search panel consisted of PN Veda Narayanan, a retired vigilance commissioner, Dr R Balasubramanian, a faculty in SRM University and R Surendira Prasad, a former syndicate member of the UNOM.

UNOM has been without a vice-chancellor since R Thandavan was relieved in January 2016. Absence of VC has stalled many academic decisions, including the postponement of a convocation in December. Currently the VC's duties are being discharged by a three-member convenor committee chaired by the higher education secretary.