Manonmaniam Sundaranar University ready to weed out under-qualified teachers

Tirunelvlei: Manonmaniam Sundaranar university affiliated colleges and university constituent colleges in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari districts are reported to have under-qualified teaching faculty comprising more than 30 per cent of their total faculty.

Manonmaniam Sundaranar university (MSU) in Tirunelveli has 77 colleges affiliated to it in the southern districts in addition to 10 constituent colleges under its control, catering to the higher education needs of around 1.20 lakh students. Of these 87 colleges, 32 that have better infrastructure and basic amenities as per the norms of the University Grants Commission were accorded permanent affiliation. However many of the other colleges under the MS University are reported to have under-qualified faculty.

“Private management colleges appoint faculty without the prescribed qualification in their self-financing courses as such candidates do not demand better salaries,” said a professor working in a private college.

The university administration is said to have received complaints. MS University vice-chancellor Dr Krishnan Baskar said that the university strictly warned its affiliated colleges not to employ teaching faculty against UGC norms last academic year.

“We have decided to have an inspection to weed out under-qualified candidates employed as teachers in our affiliated colleges in the ensuing academic year,” said the vice-chancellor, who added that according to the statistics available with him, around 30 per cent of the candidates working without proper qualifications in the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University affiliated colleges may lose their jobs.

He also warned of stringent action against affiliated college teachers who absent themselves from paper valuation works without a proper reason. “We have already sent the list of teachers absent from paper valuation work during the last semester and sought their explanation,” he added.