University of Mysore Syndicate decision

Mysuru: There are some sweeping changes happening during the tenure of the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mysore. The decisions taken by the earlier regime is being questioned and rules rewritten. However, as one Syndicate Member told Star of Mysore, all within the ambit of the law and statutes of the University.

This was evident in the Syndicate Meeting held here yesterday at the Crawford Hall. A slew of issues tabled in the day-long meeting was debated and decisions taken.

The first was to relieve the Professors, who have held Administrative posts for more than three years and to send them back to their parent Departments. The meeting was chaired by Acting VC Prof. Dayananda Mane.

According to sources, after gathering the opinion of the members and the recording of the proceedings, this will be sent to the Government, considering it as an order.

This decision is being taken to protect the interest of the students and to utilise the experience of the Professors, it is said. It may be recalled that Karnataka High Court Justice Vineet Kothari had on Monday (June 19) ruled that teachers should show their talent in teaching and leave clerical jobs to the non-teaching staff. The High Court also directed the State Government not to appoint teachers to non-teaching jobs.

Justice Kothari gave the order while dismissing the petition filed by Prof. R. Rajanna, former Registrar, University of Mysore, against his transfer.  

The sources said that the Syndicate was responding to the decision keeping the order of the High Court. Some of the names that have come up include Planning Management and Evaluation Board (PMEB) Director Prof. Lingaraj Gandhi, School of Planning and Architecture Director Prof. Krishne Gowda, Prof. Basavalingu, Prof. Rudraiah, Prof. K.B. Umapathy, Dr. C. Jayaram and Dr. C. Ramaswamy, who will be asked to return to their Departments.

However, the Syndicate also decided to issue show cause notice to former Registrar Prof.Rajanna on the issue of illegal appointments and irregularities, said the source.

Apart from this, the former Registrar of KSOU Prof. B.S. Vishwanath, who is facing charges of irregularities has still not been suspended, instead has been sent on sabbatical and also illegally appointed for Outreach and Online Programmes. A decision has been taken to write to the Government on this issue, said the source.

Reacting to the decision of the Syndicate to send back the Professors to the parent Department, Prof. Gandhi, PMEB Director, speaking to Star of Mysore said, “I welcome this decision. I never wanted this position and I always wanted to go back to teaching, when I was heading the College Development Council, itself. In fact, I had given a representation in this regard, which was tabled in the Syndicate.”

The other decision was to cut the honorarium for the guest lecturers. The Syndicate has cut the honorarium from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 22,500 for the lecturers with post-graduate degree and additional qualifications with 12 hours teaching assignment  and Rs. 15,000 to those teaching for eight hours, according to the UGC and Government guidelines, said the source.