Page 28 - EW November 2023

Education News

middle class which places a high pre- wondered how this highly ranked
mium on quality education, as well as university had maintained its reputa-
in 7.6 million registered unemployed tion in these circumstances.
youth. Therefore, they don’t rule out In its rejoinder, the Anna Uni-
this fiery woman leader — who won versity management attributed the
880 out of 928 seats in the panchayat faculty shortage to “continuous
polls held in July — sweeping West litigations” for thwarting its attempts
Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2024. to recruit permanent faculty. How-
Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata) ever, the nature of the litigations that
impeded the process of appointment
TAMIL NADU is not mentioned.
“Way back in 2014, Anna Uni-
Recruitment foot versity took the initiative to fill up

dragging vacancies. For some or other reason
the process wasn’t completed. Then
during the Covid pandemic, it was
anked #427 among global further delayed. We have submitted
universities by the highly a draft notification to the court, and
Rrespected London-based will take necessary steps as directed,”
higher ed institution ranking agency says Prof. J. Prakash, registrar of
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the AU.
state-government managed Anna Although the university’s manage-
University, Chennai, comprising 13 ment seems laid-back on the issue of
constituent colleges, three regional filling AU’s vacancies, educationists the real reason behind the univer-
campuses with an enrolment of in Chennai warn against complacen- sity’s reluctance to fill vacancies is
18,000 students, is struggling with cy and lack of urgency. “A shortage financial viability. As in all higher
only 556 full-time teachers. On of qualified instructors will compro- education institutions, tuition fees
October 3, after hearing a batch of mise education quality. Although AU in AU are rock-bottom averaging
petitions filed by temporary faculty is surviving with temporary teach- Rs.55,000 per student per year.
praying for regularisation, a division ing staff, the drawbacks are lack of Against this, the remuneration of
bench of Madras high court compris- stability and continuity. Temporary permanent faculty — decreed by Pay
ing Justices R. Suresh Kumar and staff don’t have a long-term commit- Commissions in Delhi — is substan-
K. Kumaresh Babu directed the reg- ment to the institution, leading to tial, ranging from Rs.75,000-3 lakh
istrar of Anna University to explain potential disruption in the continuity per annum. “Raising tuition fees is
the reasons for the huge number of of courses and academic programs,” a hot potato issue countrywide and
teachers vacancies and failure to fill warns K. Palanivelu, former direc- certain to arouse student protests.
them even after the court issued an tor, Centre for Climate Change and Simultaneously, the state govern-
order three years ago. Adaptation Research, Anna Univer- ment which runs a fiscal deficit
The bench took note of a status sity. cannot raise its grants to AU. Hence
report submitted by the petitioners According to Rajendra Bhoo- the reluctance of the management to
stating that the All India Council for pathi, professor emeritus and recruit permanent faculty,” explains
Technical Education (AICTE) man- former head of the mechanical engi- an AU professor on condition of
dates a total of 1,745 teaching faculty neering department, “the process of anonymity.
positions in three categories — as- recruiting and appointing permanent All this hasn’t impressed the
sistant professor, associate professor faculty is complex and long drawn.” Madras high court. On October 19,
and professor. However, the Anna “In September this year, 140 as- another division bench of Madras
University management sanctioned sistant professors were recruited and high court comprising Justice R.
only 981 posts against which the joined in some constituent colleges Suresh Kumar and Justice G. Arul
working strength is 556. including Guindy Engineering Col- Murugan directed the university
The petitioners contended that lege. But the recruitment process is to complete the process of recruit-
there is a shortage of 1,189 faculty in not easy. The governor and the state ing 372 assistant professors in AU’s
these three categories. This shortage government have to approve nomi- constituent colleges within three
has persisted despite the engagement nees. It is a cumbersome exercise.” months, and submit the selection
of 372 temporary faculty between However according to knowl- result in a sealed cover.
2010 and 2015. The court noted and edgeable educationists in Chennai, Shivani Chaturvedi (Chennai)

28 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2023