TN higher education department told to probe violations of UGC norms in Bharathiar University registrar appointment

Coimbatore: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department over alleged violations of University Grants Commission (UGC) norms in the appointment of Bharathiar University registrar.The commission has directed the state higher education secretary to conduct a detailed inquiry into a complaint lodged by a faculty member of the university and submit a factual report within 15 days. In his petition to NCSC on Feb 25, 2026, Dr M Ilanchelian, professor and head of chemistry department at the university, said Dr R Rajavel was appointed as the registrar in violation of UGC guidelines. According to the complaint, the university issued a notification on Aug 24, 2024, inviting applications to fill the post of registrar. A total of 16 applications were received, of which four eligible candidates belonged to the SC community. However, Ilanchelian stated that the interview panel, comprising five experts, did not include any representative from the SC/ST community. "While the candidates from the SC community were meeting all eligibility criteria, they were sidelined due to lack of proper representation in the selection committee," he said in the complaint and urged NCSC to take appropriate action against the appointment of the registrar. Taking cognizance of the complaint, the commission on March 13 directed the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a report in 15 days. It also warned that failure to respond within the stipulated time would result in summons being issued for a personal appearance before the commission. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with EId ul fitr 2026 wishes, messages and quotes !