As corruption cases idle, higher edu slips into old, bad ways
Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com
Chennai:28.07.2019
It has been 539 days since the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) arrested then vicechancellor of Bharathiar University, A Ganapathi, while taking bribe. The unprecedented move sent shock waves across academic circles in the state, as he was the first vicechancellor to be arrested while holding office. But, nothing much has happened since then, and the DVAC is yet to file a chargesheet against him.
Bharathiar University’s former VCs G James Pitchai and C Swaminathan also have corruption cases pending against them. But, no action has been initiated against them so far. The DVAC raided the premises of M Rajaram, former VC of Anna University. Again, no action has been launched against him.
The long delay in taking action has actually dampened the drive against corruption in higher education department. “Unless you take action against erring academicians, other vice-chancellors will continue to do the same. Proceedings in cases pending against vice-chancellors should be expedited and immediate action should be taken. It would prevent others from involving in corrupt activities,” said E Balagurusamy, former vice-chancellor of Anna University.
N Pasupathy, president of Association of University Teachers, said many of the VCs facing corruption charges had the temerity to re-apply for VC posts since there was no action against them.
“The state government should expedite action against corrupt officials, so that they would be debarred from seeking reappointment as VCs,” he said.
Criminal proceedings pertaining to the revaluation and mark sheet scam unearthed at Anna University have also been put in a cold storage. “There was no movement in these two cases despite strong evidence presented against former controller of examination GV Uma. She was raided and case was registered, but beyond that little happened. The delay in filing chargesheets will only favour those accused in the corruption cases,” sources said.
The composition of the new search committee for Bharathiyar University too has dissatisfied the academia, as instead of opting for reputed academicians to head it, the authorities have appointed former higher education secretary and retired IAS officer K Ganesan as its convener. C Subramaniam, former VC of Tamil University, and S P Thyagarajan, former VC of Madras University, are members of the committee.
“I don’t agree with the appointment of Ganesan as convener of the search committee. Instead of appointing a retired IAS officer, the state government should have nominated an eminent academician as convener of the search committee,” Balagurusamy said, adding that all search committees should have only academicians and educationists.
Pasupathy said Bharathiar University needed an honest and efficient person as the new vice-chancellor more than ever, as three former VCs of the university are facing corruption charges.
The state government also nominated S Subbiah, former vice-chancellor of Alagappa University to the search committee of Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University. Jawaharlal Nehru University’s former VC M Jagdesh Kumar and Periyar University’s former VC T Balakrishnan are the other members of the committee.
“When the state government wants to clean up the mess and select vice-chancellors based on merit, it should first nominate persons with high integrity. These nominations will not inspire the confidence of the professors,” they said.
Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com
Chennai:28.07.2019
It has been 539 days since the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) arrested then vicechancellor of Bharathiar University, A Ganapathi, while taking bribe. The unprecedented move sent shock waves across academic circles in the state, as he was the first vicechancellor to be arrested while holding office. But, nothing much has happened since then, and the DVAC is yet to file a chargesheet against him.
Bharathiar University’s former VCs G James Pitchai and C Swaminathan also have corruption cases pending against them. But, no action has been initiated against them so far. The DVAC raided the premises of M Rajaram, former VC of Anna University. Again, no action has been launched against him.
The long delay in taking action has actually dampened the drive against corruption in higher education department. “Unless you take action against erring academicians, other vice-chancellors will continue to do the same. Proceedings in cases pending against vice-chancellors should be expedited and immediate action should be taken. It would prevent others from involving in corrupt activities,” said E Balagurusamy, former vice-chancellor of Anna University.
N Pasupathy, president of Association of University Teachers, said many of the VCs facing corruption charges had the temerity to re-apply for VC posts since there was no action against them.
“The state government should expedite action against corrupt officials, so that they would be debarred from seeking reappointment as VCs,” he said.
Criminal proceedings pertaining to the revaluation and mark sheet scam unearthed at Anna University have also been put in a cold storage. “There was no movement in these two cases despite strong evidence presented against former controller of examination GV Uma. She was raided and case was registered, but beyond that little happened. The delay in filing chargesheets will only favour those accused in the corruption cases,” sources said.
The composition of the new search committee for Bharathiyar University too has dissatisfied the academia, as instead of opting for reputed academicians to head it, the authorities have appointed former higher education secretary and retired IAS officer K Ganesan as its convener. C Subramaniam, former VC of Tamil University, and S P Thyagarajan, former VC of Madras University, are members of the committee.
“I don’t agree with the appointment of Ganesan as convener of the search committee. Instead of appointing a retired IAS officer, the state government should have nominated an eminent academician as convener of the search committee,” Balagurusamy said, adding that all search committees should have only academicians and educationists.
Pasupathy said Bharathiar University needed an honest and efficient person as the new vice-chancellor more than ever, as three former VCs of the university are facing corruption charges.
The state government also nominated S Subbiah, former vice-chancellor of Alagappa University to the search committee of Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University. Jawaharlal Nehru University’s former VC M Jagdesh Kumar and Periyar University’s former VC T Balakrishnan are the other members of the committee.
“When the state government wants to clean up the mess and select vice-chancellors based on merit, it should first nominate persons with high integrity. These nominations will not inspire the confidence of the professors,” they said.
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