Pending fellowships cleared by UGC but students, staff still victimised by varsity

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Madurai Kamraj University students protesting over the pending fellowships under various schemes have something to cheer about after University Grants Commission vowed to release all funds by the end of this month.

University Grants Commission vice chairman Prof H Devaraj said that the pending fellowships will be released by the end of this year.

“I met the vice-chancellor and we held discussion in this regard,” he said.

He said the delay in disbursing funds for the fellowships was due to lack of staff. “Now we have recruited 20 more staff besides I am personally looking into the issue,” he said.

Meanwhile, Madurai Kamraj University students along with the university faculty association, who were here to submit memorandum to the officials over the alleged victimization and high-handedness of the vice-chancellor of the university, welcomed the news but at the same time expressed concern over the university victimising the students and staff for taking up the issue.

“We protested and wanted to be heard by the vice-chairman of UGC when he visited Madurai Kamraj University in October during the convocation. The vice-chancellor denied us an audience and what is more three of the students were dismissed,” said a student.

Interestingly, the letters sent to C Pandiyarajan, UGC- senior research fellow and J Arun, junior research fellow, questions the effort by students to seek an audience with UGC vice-chairman besides sending a strike notice to the Nagamalai police station over the issue. “We wanted to know the reason on why the fellowships are denied. Is it a crime. Don’t we have the right to question since our livelihood depends on the stipend,” says A Jegannathan, convenor of Madurai Kamraj University Struugle Committee.

“It is the belated action by the university. It should not have been precipitated. The 3^rd December black day could have been avoided had the vice-chancellor acted sensibly,” said S Vivekanandan, All India Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation.

“We want the university to stop victimising students and non-teaching staff or else the protest would continue,” he said.

M Jayakumar, co-convenor of Tamil Nadu Federation of University Faculty Associations, Madurai, said that never in the history of Tamil Nadu, not even during the times of emergency, had any university been closed for 20 days. “What is worse syndicate passed a resolution to demote senior professor as information scientist which is a non-teaching profession,” he said.

“The students have already lost their precious time. The issue could have been easily solved amicably instead of taking it to streets or to district collector,” Jayakumar said.

“We appeal to higher education minister to convene tripartite talks between university faculty association, non-teaching staff and research scholars. The Vice Chancellor should come forward and commit herself to the acts and statute of the university,” he said.