HC Dismisses Anna University's Plea to Conduct Convocation

The Madras High Court dismissed a petition seeking to restrain the Anna University authorities from holding its convocation scheduled on 19 May.

The plea was turned down due to the vacant bench of Justice M Govindaraj, the vice-chancellor of the university. The petition was filed by Anna University Teachers Association declaring the syndicate committee's resolution of the university as ‘illegal’ to organise the convocation.

It had asked for restricting the resolution of the syndicate committee for conducting the convocation. On this issue, the judge clearly said that in the absence of any legal embargo the court is of the view that the convocation can be organised as of the efforts made by the chancellor and rejected the petition.

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Discarding the petitioner’s arguments that only an academician can be the vice chancellor, the judge said that nothing is in place to support the arguments.

The judge also observed that the syndicate committee has the powers to hold the convocation with any of the officers of the university. The judge had heard the arguments on the matter from both sides.

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A search committee has also been hired to identify the possible candidates for the post of VC. The association argued that for the selection process to be completed, a new VC should convene the convocation ceremony and sign the degrees. The petitioner also requested the court to direct the search committee of the university to hasten the process of forwarding the candidates' name for the vice chancellor's post.