Announcement on BU V-C search panel by Governor evokes curiosity among faculty

Announcement on BU V-C search panel by Governor evokes curiosity among faculty

THE HINDU BUREAU COIMBATORE

09.09.2023

The faculty of Bharathiar University and affiliated colleges are watching with curiosity the outcome of the constitution of Search Committee by the Chancellor and Governor, against the backdrop of the government making clear its intention to challenge the inclusion of UGC nominee.

The government has taken a stand that formation of the Vice-Chancellor Search Committee comes entirely under the purview of the government.

The Governor had announced the four-member committee with the addition of the UGC Chairman nominee B. Thimmegowda, former Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore University, to the existing panel members consisting of retired IAS officer P.W.C. Davidar as the government nominee and the convener, P. Duraisamy, a former V-C of Madras University as Syndicate nominee and G. Thiruvasagam, a former V-C of Bharathiyar University as Senate nominee.

Last November, the Maharashtra Public University Act 2016 was amended by the State government for appointing Vice-Chancellors to its State Universities, for inclusion of a representative of the University Grant Commission (UGC) in the search-cum-selection committee.

The move came in the wake of Kerala high court quashing the appointment of a V-C to a university for non-adherence to appointment of UGC nominee in the search panel.

The membership of UGC nominee in the V-C Search panel has become a necessity in the changed scenario, former Vice-Chancellor of Madras and Madurai Kamaraj Universities P.K. Ponnuswamy said.

According to another senior academic, in situations where there is a conflict between the State University Act and the UGC Regulations, 2018, to the extent of State legislation being incompatible, the UGC Regulations, 2018 shall prevail. Citing Article 254(1), he said: “If any provision of a state law is repugnant to a provision in a law made by Parliament, which Parliament is competent to enact, or with any existing law regarding any matter in the Concurrent List, then the Parliamentary law would prevail over the State law.”

A hitch in this case, however, is that the Governor has announced the search committee, which has no precedent, a senior faculty said. Though Bharathiar University has been re-accredited with A++ rating, the delay in appointment of a full-time Vice-Chancellor is likely to affect the varsity’s standing at the national and international levels, he said.