Chennai: Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front on Monday wrote to Chief Minister MK Stalin alleging that the Vice-Chancellor of Madras University was practicing discrimination on the basis of caste and violating reservation norms in appointments. However, Madras University V-C Gowri quickly responded that there wasn’t any necessity to follow the reservation policy for the temporary post.


In a letter to MK Stalin, TNUEF general secretary Samuel Raj said, the University called for 23 temporary posts of assistant professors but did reserve the post for Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. He also said that the posts were for a period of 120 days and as per the rules, even the postings for 45 days should be based on reservation. Hence, the reservation norm has been violated, he said, as per a report on The Hindu. 


Samuel also said that a woman professor was selected from a reserved post as the head of the Political Science and Public Administration department last July but she was not allotted a room. He also alleged that the V-C did not hold syndicate meetings every month and has held only three or four meetings till date. 


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However, V-C Gowri responded that the appointment was made with the approval of the Syndicate and it was not necessary to follow reservation policy for a temporary post.  


Madras University V-C Gowri's Refusal 


The Madras University V-C Gowri said that he had revived the Centre for Dravidian Studies, which was not functioning for over 12 years, and paved the way for promoting people of various categories. 


He said, the Political science professor was asking for room to keep the articles of her department. 


On the reservation, Gowri said that the appointment was made with Syndicate's approval and it was not necessary to follow the reservation for temporary posts. 


Gowri also said that the final authority in the selection for various positions was the selection committee and he does not have a role in it. He stated that he settled several issues of Dalit community members amicably at the University. 


However, about the syndicate meeting, the V-C said that there was no rule that meetings should be conducted every month.