TN Appoints Interim Vice-Chancellors for Alagappa and MS Universities

The Tamil Nadu government has appointed two senior-most professors as interim vice-chancellors for Alagappa University and Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, addressing administrative vacancies at the two state-run institutions.

The interim appointments come at a time when 12 out of the 13 state universities functioning under the higher education department are operating without regular vice-chancellors.

Under the new orders, Professor J Jeyakanthan from the department of bioinformatics at Alagappa University has been appointed as the officiating vice-chancellor of the university. At Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli, Professor S Prabahar from the department of English has taken charge as the vice-chancellor (in charge).

Higher Education Minister P Viswanathan confirmed the decision to appoint interim heads to both state universities.

According to a senior official from the higher education department, the step was required following the conclusion of the extended terms of the previous vice-chancellors at both institutions.

The official noted that the acts governing these universities specify that the university syndicate must establish the requisite arrangements in the absence of a regular vice-chancellor. Until the respective syndicates finalize those formal arrangements, the senior-most professors are designated to discharge the day-to-day functions and administrative responsibilities of the vice-chancellor.

The higher education department emphasized that the current appointments remain a temporary measure designed to ensure uninterrupted university governance until the syndicate arrangements are fully instituted.