Case made for appointment of an IAS officer as interim Vice-Chancellor of Bharathiar University

Given the rather complex internal politics between administration and faculty; amongst permanent and non-permanent non-teaching staff; and between teaching and non-teaching staff, leave alone caste-based polarisation amongst faculty themselves, academics favour appointment of an officer of IAS (Indian Administrative Service) cadre to set right things in Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, in the interests of the student community.

A section of the faculty is miffed with the administration over the apparent delay in operationalising Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) promotions. However, it is learnt from administrative circles that the Higher Education Department has reservations on clearing CAS promotions on the faculty who were appointed by former Vice-Chancellor A. Ganapathy, who was arrested during 2018 for alleged irregularities in recruiting faculty members during 2016.

Also, a section of the faculty appointed for a specific tenure under five-year plan-period schemes was still continuing in service, university sources said.

Though there are apprehensions that administrative acumen of an IAS officer may not necessarily go along with long-term academic perspectives, taking decisive action objectively on administrative matters is the need of the hour, a senior faculty member pointed out.

This option is stated to be a safe way out all the more in the absence of a level-playing field in the exercise to choose the Vice-Chancellor In-Charge from a panel of senior faculty, according to a former principal of an affiliated college.

A former Registrar In-Charge of the university has been left out of the reckoning since the charges raised against her has not been cleared. For another senior faculty member, there was a DVAC case in the past. Yet another faculty member in the seniority list is on the verge of retirement.

Like-minded senior faculty opine that caste polarisation into at least three groups amongst faculty is another major issue that cannot be brushed under the carpet in the process of choosing the next In-Charge Vice-Chancellor.

Moreover, the non-permanent non-teaching staff have been complaining that they are affected by what they describe as “arbitrary” administrative decisions.

There has been a precedent of an IAS officer administering a State University. During 2013, senior IAS officer Shiv Das Meena assumed the role of Vice-Chancellor of Annamalai University for rectifying the shortcomings, a former principal pointed out, requesting anonymity.