VCs of merged AUTs clueless on signoff date

COIMBATORE: Vice-Chancellors of Anna University in Chennai and five Anna Universities of Technology in Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Chennai, Madurai and Tirunelveli are in a blind alley regarding their last date in office.Similar is the fate of the registrars, controllers of examinations, deans and other staff of the five AUTs which are being merged with the Anna University, Chennai, as per a State Government policy decision.On September 24 itself Governor K Rosaiah had granted assent for the Tamil Nadu University Laws (Amendment and Repeal) Act 2011, which provides for the merger and reversion to a single Anna University in Chennai to which the 570-odd engineering colleges in the State will be affiliated.Two days later, the State Government notified the Act in the Gazette. Normally, an Act takes effect on the day it is notified in the Gazette. However, for undisclosed reasons, the notification says the Act would come into force on a date the State Government would later declare.“We have seen the Gazette notification and are in a state of ambiguity. We are unable to take any major policy decision in the university. There are instances where colleges affiliated to us are ignoring our directions saying we are no longer the authorities to whom they are affiliated,” rues a Vice-Chancellor of one of the AUTs. There is also apprehension that delay in effecting the new Act would lead to eleventh hour financial bungling. “Since all the university offi­cials are aware that they will be reverted to their parent departments soon, they may try to make the most out of the available days in power,” a senior academician pointed out.One AUT Vice-Chancellor, in fact, has been claiming he would be the top man in the new expanded Anna University in Chennai.It is widely believed the Government would effect the merger of the universities after the civic polls.