3-member convener committee formed to run Bharathiar varsity

COIMBATORE: A special syndicate meeting held at the Bharathiar University (BU) on Thursday formed a convener committee headed by the secretary to the department of higher education, Sunil Paliwal, to run the varsity.
N Jeyakumar of BU's department of Bioinformatics and P Thirunavukkarasu, associate professor of Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science in Coimbatore, have been selected as the members of the committee, which will have all the powers bestowed upon a vice-chancellor. It will discharge the duties until a new VC takes charge.

Paliwal said a search committee will be formed to select the next VC. "We are analysing the legal aspects on when and how to form the search committee to choose a new VC. We have also asked the suggestion of the secretary to the law department," he said.

Paliwal said the syndicate also suspended professor N Dharmaraj of BU's Chemistry department, who was also arrested by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) for his involvement in the alleged graft.

Speaking to reporters, Paliwal said, "The DVAC will conduct a detailed inquiry into the appointment of faculty members made by Ganpathi in November 2016. The higher education department has sent the files regarding the appointments to DVAC. There is a prima facie case and there might be corruption in the appointments."

Regarding the dismissal of Ganapathi, Paliwal said once the DVAC gives an investigation report, disciplinary action will be initiated against him, after which procedures to dismiss him will be initiated.

"The State will explore legal options to constitute a recruitment board to conduct examinations and select faculty for state universities. The issue of corruption can be solved if right candidates are chosen for the top posts in the university administration. The search committee constituted to select VCs should have able and honest members for selection of the right candidates for top posts," he said.

Paliwal said this was the first time that a sitting VC has been trapped and arrested. "The action has been taken only after information from the high-level authorities. This makes it clear that there is initiative from the highest level to clean up the education system," he said.

Since DVAC has been probing the case well, there was no need for a CBI inquiry as demanded by some sections, Paliwal added.