TOI IMPACT

Univs told not to delay evaluation of theses

Dept: Finish Pending Work In 6 Months

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: A TOI report on how delays in evaluation of theses has affected professors at Thiruvallur University has had a ripple effect in the state higher education department.

During a high-level meet the department held on Fridqay with vice-chancellors from all state universities, senior officials took up for review the theses evaluation systems of varsities and instructed their heads to clear pending evaluations within six months. There was delay of up to three years in the evaluations at Thiruvallur University, the report published on January 18 said.

“Many times, the mentors for the research project go on sabbatical, or there is lack of communication or other forms of delay,” higher education secretary Sunil Paliwal said. “It will now be the university’s responsibility to monitor the reasons for the delay, report them, and ensure that it does not come in the way of the evaluation.”

Instead of universities taking their own time for the evaluation of theses, there will from now be a fixed format they will follow that the officials and VCs decided on at the meeting, he added.

The department and the VCs also discussed efforts to make universities “corruption-free” among other topics on the agenda. This was added against the backdrop of Bharathiar University VC A Ganapathy’s arrest by the DVAC in a graft case.

State higher education minister K Anbalagan instructed VCs not to delay matters concerning grants of affiliation to colleges and appointments of professors and principals so as to avoid setbacks.

The meeting also deliberated the need to fill vacant positions in Bharathiar and Thiruvalluvar universities as well as review of projects under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme, as an RUSA meeting will be held in New Delhi on February 28. A total of 10 universities in Tamil Nadu have received funds under the scheme.

University of Madras prof faces sack

Chennai: A University of Madras professor faces the likelihood of being sacked over irregularities in his appointment. The higher education department, at a meet with vice-chancellors of state universities on Friday, discussed a TOI expose on February 7 of anomalies in the appointment of K Dayanidhi, who is currently in charge of the varsity’s Vaishnavism department. The report stated that Dayanidhi’s score in the interview had been altered from ‘59’ to ‘69’ marks. An official said the issue would be discussed at the next syndicate meeting. TNN