Plea challenges Anna University convocation

Justice SM Subramaniam, the summer vacation Judge before whom the petition filed by Dr I Arul Aram, President, Anna University Teachers Association, came up, directed authorities to file their replies by May 17.

The petitioner contended that the prevailing rules governing Anna University, contemplates a vice-chancellor being there to administer the university affairs and to confer degrees. But at the same time, if the term of the Vice chancellor is over and the next vice-chancellor is to be appointed the question of convener committee chairman that is the Principal Secretary exercising the power of vice-chancellor does not arise, he said. 

He further submitted that a search committee was already appointed to select the vice-chancellor and the process has got to be completed. As per the Act, the Syndicate consists of 5 class I ex-officio members and 17 class II members. Among the class II members, 10 of them shall be academicians like professors, heads of departments, directors, academic council members and senior professors, etc. But in the Syndicate meeting held on March 30, 2017, which decided to hold the convocation on May 19 by the chairman, convener committee that is Principal secretary, Education department, only three members from class II group participated of which one was an MLA.

Noting that only two members out of the 10-available members participated in the syndicate meeting which is much less than the quorum required, he said the resolution to hold the convocation was illegal, which also lacked Jurisdiction and went against the rules governing Anna University.

The plea also sought for a direction to the search committee to speed up the name of the persons eligible for the post of vice-chancellor.