TNOU defers 2nd round of hiring of faculty members

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Open University has deferred the second round of its faculty recruitment after allegations of violations of selection norms in university statuettes and UGC regulations.
The university informed candidates who expected to appear for the second round of interviews by phone that the second round had been 'postponed' for the time being.It has not announced a fresh date for the interviews as yet.
The university syndicate, meanwhile, has taken a decision to convene a meeting on December 29, more than six months after the last syndicate meeting. Some officials alleged that the university put off the second round of recruitment because the syndicate had not approved the selection committee to conduct the interviews.
"The university has as of now postponed the second round of interviews that was scheduled to be held on December 22 and 23," a university official said. "The university was to hold interviews for the selection of associate and assistant professors as well as professors for five departments. The university covered the hiring for most of the other departments in the first phase of recruitment on December 4."
He said the second phase was to be held to select faculty members for the computer science, criminology, special education and rehabilitation, education and Tamil departments. Some of the selected candidates, especially those from outside the state, had complained of delays in receiving interview letters, which they said got to them only two to three days before the interview date.
"Some of the candidates have already written to the university to complain about the delay in receiving the interview letters," a senior university official said.
The irregularities in the recruitment drive, which TOI highlighted recently, include that the university has kept the syndicate, which is responsible for deciding on key projects and programmes of the university, in limbo for over six months.
Though the university is keeping mum on the fate of candidates selected in the first round of interviews, officials said the sudden decision to convene the syndicate could be to obtain approval of the selection committee by the syndicate.
The university registrar (in charge) M Murugan refused to comment on the issue.