Long wait at NIT-C for Director

Updated on: Thursday, July 21, 2011

With the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) unable to appoint a full-time Director at the prestigious National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NIT-C) here, frustration and protests among the staff and administrative problems have gripped the institute.

Spokesmen for the NIT-C administrative staff who went on a hunger strike on Tuesday to air their grievances complained that the vacuum at the top had thrown the institute's administrative machinery into disarray.

The faculty members are also baffled by and deeply concerned about the long delay of the Ministry in finding a replacement for G.R.C. Reddy who left at the end of his tenure as the institute's Director in October, 2010.

In the absence of a full-time Director, E. Gopinath was Director-in-Charge until his retirement recently. At present, T.L. Jose, Professor, electrical engineering, has been given temporary charge of Director. The Director-in-Charge is not authorised to take policy decisions. Which means major policy decisions concerning the institute's future are being kept on hold since October 2010 when the last full-time Director left the post.

The NIT-C is also without a Board of Governors. Only with the board's approval, major decisions can be implemented. The new Board of Governors that meets the norms specified by NIT statutes 2009 has not been constituted.

Because of the absence of full-time Director and Board of Governors, Deans of various faculties are continuing in their posts beyond the maximum tenure permitted by the NIT Act. Dean's tenure, though two years, can be extended by one more year. Because of the administrative impasse, a Dean is in the post now for 45 months.

Two Professors have been elected as nominees to the Board. Since the HRD Ministry is yet to constitute the Board of Governors their induction into the board has not been made.

The NITC is also without a full-time Registrar since 2004. The ministerial staff complain their promotions have been delayed because of the absence of full-time Registrar and Director.

A Professor said the faculty members would also have to openly demonstrate their protest since it was having adverse impact on the institute which was rated as one of the best in the country.

There have been no appointments of faculty members since October 2010. Many seats for M.Tech. courses in various streams are lying vacant, a spokesman for the ministerial staff said.

Even senior faculty members are in the dark about the reasons that have prompted the Ministry to sit on the appointment of the Director. As many as 14 posts of Directors in various NITs in the country were advertised by the Ministry and interview held early this year. A list of new Directors recruited for 12 NITs has also been announced. “But it is strange the HRD Ministry is keeping mum about the identity of the new Director of the NIT, Calicut,” remarked a senior faculty member.

Long wait at NIT-C for Director

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