more-in The State government has constituted a committee to chalk out an action plan to avert incidents like the recent attempted trafficking of girl students of a private college in Aruppukottai by a woman assistant professor, Higher Education Secretary Sunil Paliwal has said. Addressing mediapersons in Coimbatore on Friday, Mr. Paliwal said a committee comprising eminent and senior faculty from the University of Madras and the Tamil Nadu Open University had been constituted. The committee would go into the various University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines and practices adopted by other institutions of higher education. The panel would submit a report, setting out guidelines, by April 23, he added. The government would then instruct/direct all universities, colleges and institutions of higher learning to implement the guidelines laid down in the action plan. Mr. Paliwal said the State had no role in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors or in V-C search panels. As far as this issue was concerned, the State was adhering to long-established procedures and protocols. Certain new norms such as the interviewing of candidates by the Governor were introduced recently. It was a far-fetched surmise to conclude that the appointment of persons from other States meant that there were no qualified persons within the State to fill the post. In fact, top positions in ISRO and DRDO were occupied by people hailing from Tamil Nadu, he pointed out. Referring to the reported scam involving the sale/auction of old answer sheets, Mr. Paliwal said that the failure on the part of the university in initiating appropriate and timely action had resulted in the retirement of the then Controller of Examinations, Claudis Leema Rose. However, the retiree was yet to get terminal benefits, and hence, the Higher Education department was speeding up the probe into the complaints against the retiree. He said the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption had registered a case and was inquiring into complaints against two previous V-Cs Swaminathan and James Pitchai. Referring to the notice issued on April 12 to suspended V-C A. Ganapathi, who was caught taking a bribe by the DVAC, for vacating his official residence, Mr. Paliwal said the suspended Vice-Chancellor had promised to vacate the official residence of the V-C by the first week of May.

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