PU V-C committee member applies for Registrar post; Syndicate member demands his removal

The Syndicate must formally examine whether the NOC is valid and if Mr. Subramani is eligible to apply for the post, says a syndicate member.

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A Syndicate member of Periyar University (PU) demanded the removal of R. Subramani, the university Vice-Chancellor (V-C) Committee member, after he applied for the post of Registrar at the university. A V-C committee was formed on May 28, 2025, to run the university administration. In June 2026, following the transfer of Convener E. Sundravalli, the present collegiate education commissioner P. Ponniah filled her position and Periyar University professor R. Subramani and the private college principal Jayanthi continued as its members as per the notification issued on June 24, 2026.On May 29, 2026, Periyar University issued a notification inviting applications for the post of Registrar. On Monday evening (June 29, 2026) around 5 p.m., Mr. Subramani applied for the post and submitted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) received from the university dated June 17, 2026.Terming this as a violation and illegal, Periyar University syndicate member T. Poongodi Vijaykumar said that Mr. Subramani applied for the post of Registrar and got NOC prior to the notification issued on June 24. By remaining on the committee after securing a NOC, Mr. Subramani has cemented his position as the ultimate appointing authority and simultaneously acting as a candidate for the Registrar post. As a member of the committee, Mr. Subramani collectively acts as the chairman of the selection committee and chairman of the Syndicate, the very bodies responsible for interviewing, selecting, and appointing the Registrar, she added. The Syndicate must take steps to remove Mr. Subramani from the committee and formally examine whether the NOC is valid and if he is eligible to apply for the post,” Ms. Poongodi said, adding that she had shared the demands to other members via e-mail. Former Periyar University Teachers Association (PUTA) president V. Vaithianathan stated that a V-C committee member approves the candidates for the Registrar post. . “How can Mr. Subramani monitor the entire selection process while he is a candidate for the post?” he questioned, and noted that faculty members who acted as Registrar in-charge resigned the post after they applied for the post. Mr. Vaithianathan alleged that in order to keep his application a secret, Mr. Subramani applied for the Registrar post on the last minute. “This shows that he was aware that he should not continue in the committee after applying to be the Registrar. The government should immediately remove him from the V-C committee and also reject his application,” he said. The Higher Education Department should not allow Mr. Subramani to participate in the Periyar University Syndicate meeting to be held on Wednesday (July 1), Mr. Vaithianathan added.When contacted, Mr. Subramani said, “I am not involved in any process post obtaining the NOC from the university. I will take this to the Convener and explain that I am one of the candidates for the Registrar post. If the convener asks me not to continue as the committee member, I will follow his instruction”, Mr. Subramani added. Published - June 30, 2026 08:42 pm IST