Reopening order irks Tiruvalluvar varsity staff

Problems erupted as only around 20 of the 42 teaching staff were able to report for duty, as others were locked down in Chennai, the hotspot of COVID-19 infection. Though the 60 non-teaching staff were also asked to report for duty, they pleaded for lenience due to lack of public transport. “When we pointed out that the TNSTC bus for government staff reached the campus only at 9.45 am while we were asked to report 15 minutes earlier, the VC is not giving an ear to our legitimate plea,” an aggrieved non-teaching staff said.

Meanwhile, former university syndicate member I Ilangovan shot off letters dated May 24 to the secretaries of the higher education and law departments stating that the VC’s order to open the campus was against Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan’s statement on May 16 at Dharmapuri when he said universities would only open after the virus was wiped out.

Top University officials said, “While social distancing is not an issue, masks and sanitisers are rarely used. With attendance being made mandatory for the lockdown duty period, there is a chance of those unable to come for duty being penalised.”

What aggravated the staff was the university uploading on its website an advertisement calling for applications for PG programmes in 10 departments and seven in its Villupuram based PG extension centre with the rider that candidate could apply with their marks for five semesters on or before June 30. Repeated efforts to contact VC Thamarai Selvi by this reporter proved futile. When asked about this, Higher Education Minister Anbalagan said, “the same rule regarding reopening applies to all universities.” However, he later added the rider that the “VC might have asked the staff to come to undertake preparatory work to ensure the university lost no time when it reopened.”

On the advertisement, the Minister said, “even if students apply with five semester marks, they will be able to join a PG course only when they pass the sixth semester when it is held.”