The Annamalai University Teachers’ Federation (AUTF) on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, alleged that the seniority-based rotation system was flouted by the university’s administration while appointing Deans of Faculties and Heads of Departments over the past two-and-a-half years.
According to C. Subramanian, convenor of AUTF, the university’s move is contrary to the guidelines set by regulatory bodies like the University Grants Commission (UGC) and accrediting bodies like the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) that have insisted on the importance of employing seniority as the sole guideline in such appointments.
AUTF said that the rotation by seniority principle must be adopted because this system was the most transparent, eliminated subjectivity and bias, created checks and balances, and encouraged participatory management. In addition, the Annamalai University Act of 2013 also mandates that appointments be made by rotation, based on seniority.
However, the university administration has violated this rule often, and juniors have been appointed as Deans of Faculties and Heads. The issue has also been brought to the notice of the Minister for Higher Education K. Ponmudy and the Secretary to Higher Education who have directed the university to follow the rotation policy.
AUTF said that a professor who was sixth in the seniority list has been appointed as the Head of the Physics Department while the senior-most professor has been denied the post. Similarly, another professor in the Department of Agricultural Microbiology who is the senior-most in the Department was not given a chance, while a junior has been appointed as the Head of the Department.
The Tamil Nadu government should immediately intervene and cancel these wrongful appointments and appoint seniors as heads of departments, Mr. Subramanian said.
