Chennai: The former director of IIT Ropar and honorary professor at IISc Bangalore, M.K. Surappa has appointed as new vice-chancellor of Anna University.
After personally interviewing the three shortlisted candidates on Thursday, Governor Banwarilal Purohit made the appointment thus ending a nearly two-year long wait for a vice-chancellor. The other two shortlisted candidates were UGC vice-chairman H. Devaraj and S. Ponnusamy, a retired professor of Mathematics in IIT Madras.
“It’s a very challenging opportunity. In all my previous positions I have taken the institution as far as highest level. It’s a first time I get an opportunity to work with the state university,” Mr. Surappa told Deccan Chronicle.
M.K. Surappa is hailing from Karnataka and spent 24 years in teaching at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He also worked as the director, IIT Ropar for six years from June 2009. A renowned scholar in the field of materials engineering, he has authored 150 publications and got 4 patents to his credit. He also got the Professor Rustom Choksi award for excellence in research in engineering for the year 2007. He is a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and a fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering.
He would serve as the Vice-Chancellor for three years from the date of his assumption of office. The vice-chancellor search panel headed by Justice V.S. Sirpurkar had received about 170 applications from all over the country. Many applications were received from IITs, IISc and famous universities from other parts of the country.
After three rounds, the committee has eliminated 140 applications and ranked the remaining candidates based on their qualifications. Following the ranking process, it has called 9 shortlisted candidates for interview.
Anna University Teachers’ Association welcomed the appointment. “AUTA will extend full support and co-operation to the new Vice-Chancellor,” it said in a statement. Some political leaders have opposed this appointment as the new V-C is hailing from outside the state.
