Association of University Teachers, Tamil Nadu, has urged the State Government to inquire into allegations against Bharathiar University Vice-Chancellor James Pitchai and the university administration.
The association members led by their vice-president C. Pichandy said that despite stiff opposition, the university administration led by Mr. Pitchai extended the contract by five years of a private agency as coordinator of the distance education programme.
This was a clear violation of the university and University Grants Commission norms, he said while leading a protest in city on Wednesday. More than 50 AUT members participated in the protest. The Government must probe who stood to gain by extending the contract of the agency and why it was permitted. The role of the private agency also needed to be probed.
N. Senthamarai, former president, AUT, alleged that the university had submitted a forged document to the National Council for Teacher Education to offer master in education degree programmes through distance education. This was a criminal offence and reflected the university administration’s high-handedness.
Members spoke about the alleged ill-treatment to a Dalit candidate during the recent round of appointments to posts in the Physical Education Department.
