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At a time when the students of the Madras University were lining up at the offices of the University to collect their robes for the 159th convocations, scheduled to be held on 1st December 2016, the University authority has postponed the convocation indefinitely citing administrative issue as the reason behind the same. Reports came from an official communication on Tuesday evening, 29 November 2016.
Many students who came to the city from different parts of the country and abroad spending thousands of rupees for collecting their certificates have left in lurch.
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The sudden decision to postpone the convocation came after a meeting held by the office of the governor, with the controller of examinations and the registrar of the University on Monday, 28 November 2016. The governor of the state is also the Chancellor of the university.
The meeting was convened after the university took the controversial decision to put the signature of A Karthik, Higher Education Secretary on the diploma and degree certificates in place of the Vice-Chancellor of the University. Ever since Mr. R Thandavan exited from the post of VC in January 2016, it has been lying vacant.
Sources reveal that the governor's office asked the University officials for an explanation why proper procedures were not followed in this regard.
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In a memorandum submitted by the Professors Forum of Madras University stated that the legal opinion given by the Advocate General (AG) to put the signature of the Higher Education Secretary on the certificates was not ratified by the syndicate before the announcement of the convocation date.
General Secretary of the forum, Professor SS Sundaram said that the embarrassment for the university could have been avoided had they followed due procedures. Even the syndicate meeting is not taking place every month.
Thousands of students were in confusion as the postponement of the convocation came just two days before the proposed event.
