PhD scholars denied NOC after guide's disciplinary transfer
The three full-time history research scholars are S Nallathambi, R Varatharajan, and M Vaishnavi. While Nallathambi enrolled in his PhD programme in 2014, Varatharajan and Vaishnavi enrolled in their programmes in 2017.
Sources said the professor challenged the transfer at the Madurai bench of Madras high court, but the plea was dismissed. The three students allege that the professor is pressurizing them to include their names in continuing his legal proceedings.
"The last time we met him at the Karur college on June 2, he told us he would give the NOC only on the condition that we pursue a legal case along with him against Bharathidasan University," a scholar said.
Official sources confirmed that the professor's transfer order was issued after a disciplinary inquiry launched by the college's internal complaints committee (ICC) and the regional joint directorate of college education office.
The affected students said they have petitioned the chief minister's cell and repeatedly raised the issue with the university authorities. "The VC committee had been advising us to resolve the matter directly with our guide before it decided to intervene on the issue on our behalf last month," said one of the scholars.
The VC committee constituted an inquiry panel on June 9 and met with stakeholders on June 20. However, the students said the process has not yielded any result so far.
A senior university official told TOI that the issue will be solved soon in the best interest of students. "During an inquiry panel meeting, the supervisor had verbally agreed to provide the NOC," the official said. Activists have urged the university to exercise its discretionary powers to issue the NOC. "This is where a full-time vice-chancellor, registrar, and research director are needed, instead of an ad-hoc VC committee or in-charge staff members," said a BDU syndicate member.
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