CHENNAI: A section of syndicate members of the University of Madras has opposed the move to affix the signature of the higher education secretary in degree certificates for the forthcoming convocation of the university. Since the university is functioning without the vice-chancellor for last 10 months, the university administration sought the approval of the syndicate to affix the signature of the higher education secretary on the degree certificates.
At the syndicate meeting held on Friday, it is learnt that seven members of the syndicate have opposed the move and sent the dissent note. Higher education secretary A. Karthik is also the convener of the syndicate committee, which carries out the routine affairs of the university in the absence of the vice-chancellor. “As per the statutes of Madras University, only a vice-chancellor can sign the degrees and diplomas. The syndicate convener committee can perform only the routine administrative matters and signing university degree certificate is not a routine matter,” a syndicate member who opposed the move said.
“It is a permanent official record of the university and if anyone other than the vice-chancellor signs the university degree, then the authentication of the certificate will become a problem,” he said. He also argued that there is no such precedence of signing the university of Madras degree by anyone other than the vice-chancellor. Another syndicate member who differs in this view wondered how convocation could not be a routine matter.
“Since the convocation is being conducted every year, it is also should be treated as a routine matter. The degree certificates can be signed by the convener of the syndicate committee,” he said. Some syndicate members also called for the regular meeting of the convener committee to clear the backlog of files in the university. There are more than 2,000 files, which are waiting to be cleared by the convener committee, they alleged.
