COIMBATORE: Any probe into the selection of vice-chancellors in Tamil Nadu and large-scale admission of unqualified students into the premier Anna University during the past five years must cover the role of power brokers in the Raj Bhavan, unscrupulous IAS officers and political lobbyists, say senior academicians.On Monday, Higher Education Minister P Palaniappan had announced in the Assembly that the administrative actions of his predecessor K Ponmudy would be probed after obtaining permission from Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.The Minister had mentioned that the probe would cover alleged irregularities in the appointment of vice-chancellors, admission of low-scoring students into Anna University and the mysterious case of a student of an engineering college run by the family members of former Food Minister E V Velu passing without attending classes. Express was the first to highlight all these irregularities in its issues dated March 5 and 6, May 4 and May 17. Independent academicians, known for their integrity, say that the government’s probe must not be confined to punishing individuals, but expanded to nail a host of persons who had interfered with higher education without any compunction during the DMK regime. “A man claiming proximity to the Governor-Chancellor’s family, a senior IAS officer and political lobbyists were also involved in these irregularities. Some persons even paid bribes to become members of vice-chancellor’s search committees and, in turn, took money from aspirants to shortlist their names,” a widely-respected academician said.It is learnt that money paid by such vice-chancellors was not a one-time affair. “It was ensured that there was regular flow back of money from the vice-chancellors. It was so scandalous that affiliations were not granted to colleges/courses unless money was paid. Even for appointing lecturers, huge sums were demanded as a result of which incompetent teachers entered the portals of universities,” a source said. In some instances, power brokers allegedly forced the then government to work out a quid pro quo arrangement with Raj Bhavan to appoint vice-chancellors of their choice by rotation. “Members of a search committee were once coerced to include in the shortlist the name of an incompetent academician, who kept missing the vice-chancellor’s post each time, despite paying money. It was conveyed that unless this person was included in the shortlist for an arts and science university, the appointment of vice-chancellor for a technological university would not be cleared,” a privileged source said. Academics said that the government must investigate how many students were admitted to the Anna University on the recommendation of the Governor-Chancellor and by the then chief minister and higher education minister and the basis for such illegal admissions.
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