Anna University teachers’ association to protest renaming

CHENNAI: Members of Anna University Teachers Association (AUTA) will wear black badges to work from Monday until the government promises to restore the varsity’s name. They claimed that the name change will undo decades of hardwork.

The four varsity campuses have been merged into a unitary institution and was renamed as Anna Technological and Research University after the State recently enacted a bill bifurcating it.

All members of the association unanimously expressed dissent against the move and said that their hardwork and dedication have gone for a toss. In a statement, they claimed that the government did not consider the university stakeholders’ opinion regarding the name change. Also, all international and national ranking obtained over the years will be lost.

“The credits achieved through research publications (around 25,000 in various reputed international journals), patent and other IPR in the name of Anna University will be reset to zero,” the statement said, adding that agreements signed with reputed universities, research institutions around the world will become void.

“Finally, the academic and research reputation of Anna University will be struck at the root irrecoverably,” they asserted adding that members of AUTA shall approach legal paths if the name is not restored.