Varsity to provide starter grant of Rs.2 lakh

Updated on: Monday, March 28, 2011

The University of Madras will provide a starter grant of Rs.2 lakh to the newly recruited assistant professors of the University for conducting research projects.

At the annual Senate meeting, G. Thiruvasagam, vice-chancellor, said the faculty members, whose research project has been accepted, after scrutiny by the expert committee, will be disbursed with 50 per cent of the grant initially, as seed money, in the first year. Further grant will be released based on progress of the project.

The grant recipients should publish in a leading journal at least once during the project period.

Increase in fellowship

Further, the university fellowship amount has been increased from Rs.5,000 to Rs.7,000 with an annual contingency grant of Rs.5,000, he said.

Some of the members such as V. Arasu, Head, Department of Tamil Literature, were highly critical of the functioning of research project office, a section which processed research funds.

The administrative inefficiency and red tapism in the section was stifling research in the university. Sincere academics carrying out research were psychologically affected while dealing with the section, the Senate was told.

In reply, Mr. Thiruvasagam said the section will be closed as the post of dean – research has been created.

Faculty could approach the dean hereafter, he said.

Pen drive case

M. Michael Aruldhas, Head, Department of Endocrinology, pointed out the audit objections in the purchase of pen drives for students of the Institute of Distance Education (IDE) of the university during the previous vice-chancellor's tenure.

According to the audit, the procedures were not followed in the purchase of pen drives (to replace printed notes) and the pen drives were never distributed to the students, he said.

In his counter, Mr. Thiruvasagam said the audit objections were not judgements of the Supreme Court.

“It's their duty. When the university clarifies, they have dropped 120 objections,” he said.

The pen drives would not go waste as the university could distribute them to students joining online courses, he said promising to recover the money and ensure there were no lapses in following procedures hereafter.

Varsity to provide starter grant of Rs.2 lakh

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