Who is Dr R Jagannathan, the new VC of Salem's Periyar University?

Dr Ramasamy Jagannathan, the former Dean of the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Periyar University, Salem on Monday. This was announced by Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit. Purohit is also the Chancellor of the university.

With 39 years of teaching experience, Jagannathan has published over 55 research papers, presented 14 papers internationally and has guided 14 PhD scholars until now, according to the communique. "He has conceived and implemented extension outreach programmes and social indulgence schemes like on-campus training of farmers of Tsunami affected areas, 25 mass awareness programmes on new agricultural technology and 20 automated weather-based Agro advisory system awareness programme for the Department of Agriculture," says the release.

In 2017, Jagannathan was conferred with the Service for Agro Meteorology in India Award. "He is familiar with the university administration, having worked as a Dean, a professor and a head for eight years in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and various colleges," the communique says. The Periyar University was set up by the government of Tamil Nadu in 1997 and has 106 colleges affiliated with it. The tenure of its former Vice-Chancellor P Kolandaivel had ended earlier in January 2021 and was extended until further notice.