It is the VC in-charge committee, who inserted the word ‘university’ to make only professors of the university eligible, says K. Raja, general secretary of AUT.
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The Association of University Teachers (AUT) Tamil Nadu demanded the Chief Minister and the Governor to take steps to rescind the syndicate meeting agenda of Periyar University (PU), which sets different qualifications for the posts of Registrar, Controller of Examinations, and Director of Distance Education, which is contrary to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Periyar University Act.
The AUT general secretary, K. Raja, said that the Periyar University syndicate meeting held on November 19, 2025 recorded that the qualifications for the above mentioned posts is an academician not lower in rank than that of a professor of a college/university. But, the Periyar University Act says, “The holder of the post of Registrar shall be an academician not lower in rank than that of Professor of a College affiliated to any University.” It is the Vice-Chancellor (V-C) in-charge committee, who inserted the word ‘university’ to make only university professors eligible, excluding experienced college teachers, as there is no substantive post of professor in colleges in the State,” Mr. Raja added.
Pointing out that the same Convenor of V-C committee set different qualifications for these posts at Periyar and Bharathidasan Universities, Mr. Raja said that the incumbent commissioner of collegiate education E. Sundaravalli, who is also Convenor of the V-C Committee of both universities, has prescribed the qualification of the statutory tenure posts in consonance with the UGC norms for Bharathidasan University.
The holder of the post of Registrar shall be an academic not lower in rank than that of professor of a college affiliated to any University; master’s degree with at least 55% of the marks or an equivalent grade in the point scale according to the followed grading system; at least 15 years of experience as assistant professor in academic level 11 and above or with eight years of service in academic level 12 and above including as associate professor, along with an experience in educational administration (or) comparable experience in research establishment or other institutions of higher education (or) 15 years of administrative experience, of which eight years shall be as deputy registrar or an equivalent post, Mr. Raja added.
Stating how could there be two different sets of qualifications for these posts, Mr. Raja said, “Why did the three nominees of chancellor on the syndicate maintain their silence over the violations of UGC norms and prescription of contradicting qualifications for the statutory tenure posts?”
It is to be noted that when the then Periyar University V-C R. Jagannathan tried to fill up these posts, the incumbent Commissioner of Collegiate Education did not turn up for the conduct of the scheduled interview for these posts and hence, the interview was cancelled.
The AUT appealed to the Chancellor and Chief Minister to urgently intervene to set the discrepancies in the prescription of the contradicting qualifications and awaken the Chancellor’s nominees with a view to rescind and revise the same according to the UGC Norms, Mr. Raja added.
When contacted, Convenor of V-C Committee E. Sundaravalli was not available for a comments
Published – December 18, 2025 07:19 pm IST
