Political Interference in State Universities

The syndicate of Bharathiar University annulled the appointment of 35 regular academic posts appointed by a recently retired Vice-Chancellor. The cancellations were due to a petition lodged in the Madras High Court alleging irregularities in the selection process.

Bharathiar University is a state University, the Higher Education Minister and Governor of Tamil Nadu State are the Pro-Chancellor and Chancellor respectively.   

The State Government has introduced a new bill in the legislative assembly, “The Annamalai University Act-2013”, on Monday. The Act would enable the state to take over the University donated to it in the year 1929. In the mean time, the Vice-Chancellor is under suspension, the Registrar has resigned from his post and the University is under a special administrator of the Government. The University is closed indefinitely due financial constraints.

The University was donated to the erstwhile Madras State by Sir Annamalai Chettiar. A thankful state created a ceremonial post called Pro-Chancellor for founder, which is still inherited by the founder’s genes.  The colonial privilege enabled the pro-chancellor to select a Vice chancellor of his choice

The State Universities are highly dependent on the state funds and the state ministers in turn consider these Universities as milking cows to enrich their coffers. Staff, Faculty and VC appointments for these Universities are highly commercialized under the table.

 Annamalai University Act 1929, prevented political interference and was under a defacto private hands. However, the nexus between the management and polity continued unabatedly for years. The founders considered the University as their personal property; admissions to courses or appointment to faculties where under their control. The Founders abused their privileges and position and plundered the brand Annamalai with capitation fees and bribes. Ultimately, University collapsed financially and closed down indefinitely.

Across board, the Universities, the staff, the Student community and Higher Education as such are paying a heavy price due to interventions from non Academic Authorities. Vice-Chancellors, who purchase their post with currencies, leave no stones unturned to recover it back with profits during their services. They indulge in unfair and unethical practices detrimental the core function of the University, i.e. Academic excellence.

 Universities should strive to achieve perfection in their Academic pursuits. A liberal funding and non interference from the Central Government created islands of excellence like, IITs, IISc, NIT’s and other Central Universities. Academics should be left the Academicians; Universities should be empowered to select their own Academic heads sans any political influence. The State Universities have a talented pool of scholars; part or at least fifty percent of seats can be legally commercialized or pegged to market value fees for a Global Populace the rest could be subsidized for citizens of the State. Sustenance and quality education should be motto of our Universities, not nepotism and mediocrity.