MGU Syndicate triggers another round of tussle

KOTTAYAM: Triggering another round of tussle between Mahatma Gandhi University Vice-Chancellor Rajan Gurukkal  and the syndicate, the latter has sent a letter to the former asking him to withdraw his decision to conduct an interview for recruiting new faculty members.Giving thrust to their demand, 15 pro-UDF members in the 25-member syndicate signed on the letter.In the letter, the syndicate members stated that they came to know that interview for the posts of assistant professors for Malayalam and English departments, in the School of Letters, was scheduled for April 23, 2012.According to the M G University Act and Statutes and the norms of UGC, a previous concurrence of the Government is needed for the appointment to the specified post.Meanwhile, the state government is yet to give concurrence to the post since it is a temporary one, for a period of five years as per the UGC sanction.“The issue should be discussed in the syndicate. However, he is taking his own route which worsens the functioning of the university,” said syndicate member George Joseph.He alleged that the vice-chancellor was trying to sabotage the reservation system, too.“The university is maintaining separate register for temporary posts and permanent posts. Since the above notified post is a temporary one, the allocation has to go to the Scheduled Caste community as per the rotation system. However, the university has made a big mistake by notifying the post as a permanent one. The reservation allotted for the permanent post is a different one. Hence the SC community will not be able not get the benefit of the reservation,” George Joseph said.However, Rajan Gurukkal dismissed all the allegations.  “I haven’t done anything against the rule. I am not deciding anything on my own. This is an ensuing process that goes through the university administration, which includes a lot of officials like registrar, joint registrar etc. Every action of mine has a base of valid records,” Gurukkal told ‘Express’.He also alleged that the syndicate was creating a lot of apprehension among the public. “The honorable High Court has dismissed their argument that the reservation was sabotaged. I have crosschecked the rotation issues and confirmed that no irregularities are present. Most of them are ignorant of the technicalities in the functioning of the university” Gurukkal said adding that he had informed all the procedures to the syndicate.