Date:12/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/12/stories/2008121260110600.htm

Tamil Nadu

“Emeritus Professorship only on merit”

Special Correspondent

MADURAI: Clear guidelines have been prepared for appointment of Emeritus Professors in Madurai Kamaraj University and a retired faculty can be taken for honorary academic positions only if he or she fulfils the merit criteria fixed by the varsity.

A resolution was passed at the MKU Syndicate meeting held here on Thursday approving the recommendations made by a committee for appointment/award of Emeritus Professorship and allied honorary faculty.

Official sources in MKU said that the university can have a maximum of only four Emeritus Professors of which two will be for science departments and the remaining two for arts/humanities departments. The tenure should be only two years and not beyond under any circumstances.

“There are so many retired faculty members applying for honorary position in departments. The applications will be dealt only on merit and nothing else,” a Syndicate member said. The varsity committee recommendations will also be applicable for visiting faculty.

Medical allowance

Another decision taken at the Syndicate meeting was to increase the medical allowance for university staff from Rs.250 per month to Rs.350 per month. This is for all teaching and non-teaching staff.

The Syndicate also passed a resolution appointing Dhulasi Birundha from School of Economics, MKU, as the University with Potential for Excellence (UPE) Coordinator for Arts and Humanities Departments. S. Perumal, Syndicate member, is the Coordinator for Science Departments.

Six eminent Tamil scholars would be presented with ‘Tamil Peravai Chemmal’ awards and the names were approved by the Syndicate. The list includes Avvai Natarajan and Ponnambala Adigalar.