Calicut University Vice-Chancellor’s controversial tenure to end today
He has been accused of misappropriation of funds and grants by the UGC
KOZHIKODE: The four eventful years in Calicut University under Dr M. Abdul Salam as the Vice-Chancellor will end on Tuesday. As the chief executive of the largest University in Kerala, which includes 30 post-graduate departments and over 300 affiliated colleges, his tenure witnessed a sore relationship with teachers and employees.
He has been accused of misappropriation of funds and grants by the UGC. The University also witnessed a record number of protests by students, teachers and non-teaching staff against the VC.
He was also accused of drawing a salary and pension at the same time which is against the Kerala State and Subordinate Service Rules (KSSR) which made even the Governor rule against him.
At the end of his tenure, he received another major blow with the Governor sanctioning the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau Director’s request seeking permission to prosecute him in the investigation into conduct of re-examination for the practicals for failed B.Tech students.
However, during his tenure, the University transited into complete E-governance and the examinations process was computerized.
Dr Salam would also get the dubious record, when he steps down, as the first vice chancellor of the University not to get a farewell in the campus from teachers and non-teaching staff.
In a novel way to mark their protest against Dr Salam who allegedly called them ‘lazy’ and ‘non-productive’, the non-teaching staff of the university is working an extra hour on Wednesday.
On the penultimate day on Monday, the VC created another controversy by not attending the Syndicate meeting. It is learnt that the UDF members planned to boycott the meet and that led the VC not to attend it.