University of Madras professor protests alleging pay discrepancy

CHENNAI: Noted professor and head of the Politics and Public Administration department at the University of Madras, Ramu Manivannan, staged a sit-in protest at the campus on Thursday alleging salary discrepancies.

Manivannan has been known to openly criticise incidents of corruption, improper management of funds and malpractice. Manivannan told Express that he’s being targeted to be silenced and, “to teach a lesson to others who want to challenge the system.” He claimed he has not been paid for the last seven months, and up to Rs 18 lakh has not been released from his pension fund.

“I will be retiring in June. They have said there is a discrepancy of pay only a few months before I’m leaving,” he said. In late 2019, the university intimated that he was wrongly promoted to the post of associate professor, Manivannan said. “In 2006-07 nationally there was a change in nomenclature of my designation to associate professor as mandated by the UGC. It was not technically a promotion.

All those who worked with me had the changed title,” he said, adding that his salary base has been cut since 2009. “The syndicate had also passed a resolution saying it was the mistake of the university and therefore, the university must pay this. Yet Rs 18 lakh has been deducted from my pension funds,” he rued.
Speaking to Express S Gowri, the Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of the University of Madras said there are issues with the financial audit and that the university is looking into them. “There is an audit objection,” he said.