Educationists, representatives of government-aided colleges and university teachers' associations urged the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and the Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudy to take policy decisions for teachers' appointment in government-aided colleges and universities through either the Teachers' Recruitment Board (TRB) or a similar kind of recruitment board in order to enhance the standards of Higher Education in the state.
Speaking to TNIE, educationist and former president of the Association of University Teachers (AUT), K Pandian said, "After a long battle, college teachers follow the Tamil Nadu Private Colleges (Regulations) Rules, 1976, which ensures the salary and other benefits of the college teachers in the state. Initially, government-aided college management, with their aim of imparting higher education to the masses, never thought about money. Slowly, it diluted and most of the government-aided colleges in the state started collecting money for admission and appointment. It should be stopped." He added that appointing teachers through TRB is a good move before the government can amend laws in the Tamil Nadu Private Colleges (Regulations) Rules, 1976.
Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers' Association (MUTA) General Secretary M Nagarajan said, "The Higher Education Department GO No 5 deliberately described how the selection process should include selection committee members. Besides, in every government-aided college, the management is deciding whom to appoint and other members simply nod their heads for other benefits. At least, a varsity-wise common recruitment board can be formed which recruits the teachers for government-aided colleges and varsities on the basis of merit."
AUT President P Thirunavukarasu said that governments in the states of Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are making these appointments in a transparent manner. "When bureaucrat Sunil Baliwal was the Principal Secretary to the Higher Education Department, he took steps to carry out the recruitment process of government-aided colleges under the TRB, but he was transferred after this move. In order to enhance the quality of education it is mandatory to remove the roots of corruption in appointments and admission," he said.
Save Higher Education Forum Secretary R Murali said that if the government has the political will they can carry out all teaching appointments through TRB. He said that it will bring legal and social justice to the teaching community. "The government can form a committee to analyse the pros and cons and make certain amendments in the TN Private Colleges Regulations Act. Though government-aided colleges and minority colleges can approach the court, the government can still implement recruitment through the TRB," he said.
AUT former General Secretary C Pichandy alleged that if a college teacher or university teacher paid lakhs of rupees to get the appointment, their prime motive is to swindle money. "Nowadays, these teachers don't have pensions and get appointments only when they are above 30 years of age. The honesty and integrity of the teachers and students are definitely corrupted. They have turned into brokers for appointments and admissions," he said. He further alleged that while on the one hand, the government makes efforts to enhance the quality of higher education, on the other, rampant corruption continues to spoil these efforts. Calling for accountability, Pichandy said, "Present Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudy is an academician, very well aware of the present situation. He is the person capable of bringing change to higher education. Stakeholders and academicians need to put pressure on the government."
Speaking to TNIE, Director of Collegiate Education M Eswaramoorthy said that there was no such proposal for recruitment under TRB to fill up the vacancies in government-aided colleges and state-run universities.
