SALEM: A Registrar’s tenure is to end soon, but his selection is yet to be approved. Strange, but true. Dr S Gunasekaran, the Registrar of Periyar University, is completing his three-year Lien period (a provision for aided college teachers to get tenure posts like Registrar, Controller of Examinations, Director, Distance Education & Academic Staff Colleges in the Universities) in August this year. However, he is yet to get the government’s permission to join the Periyar University. He took over as registrar on August 11, 2008 before which he worked in Pachaiyappa’s College, Chennai - an Aided College, for 29 years.Gunasekaran, according to the Association of University Teachers, had applied for the post after getting an NoC from his college. He was selected by a duly-constituted committee through a vote, approved by the Syndicate and duly appointed as Registrar by the Syndicate. But for some reason, the then Principal Secretary of Higher Education Ganesan, did not give him permission to take Lien. His tenure as Registrar of Periyar University is coming to an end on August 2011, but the stalemate continues. As a matter of fact, he has been asked to vacate his Registrar’s post and join the Pachaiyappa’s College again.Curiously enough, the then Principal Secretary, in contradiction to the Syndicate and the Selection Committee’s decision of appointing Dr Gunasekaran, had said that the he was not eligible for the post since he was not a professor as per the UGC guidelines. However, the fact is that aided college teachers in Tamil Nadu are not designated as professors. A state GO has listed the equalance of senior teachers of Aided Colleges with UGC nomenclatures thereby making Aided College Teachers qualified enough to be treated as professors and eligible to take Lien. Another charge against Dr Gunasekaran is that he did not get permission from the Department of Higher Education before going on lien. The Registrar, however, maintained that he had sought permission through proper channel. Meanwhile, the Periyar University has not been deducting PF for the Registrar and AUT fears that Dr Gunasekaran’s re-entry into Pachaiyappa’s College will not be a smooth going. The lien period will continue to be a thorn while processing his retirement benefits. Apprehending that the case of Dr Gunasekaran may set a bad precedence in matters of lien for Aided College Teachers, AUT has written to the present Principal Secretary R Kannan to look into the issue afresh.
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