JUSTA Calls Upon University Deans To Disclose Their ‘Secret’ Letter
By Thangamuthu Jayasingam -February 11, 2015 |
Dr. Thangamuthu Jayasingam
Many may not be aware of the Academic corruption at Eastern University over the past 3 years under the executive administration of Dr K Kobindarajah as Vice Chancellor. He is perhaps the only Vice Chancellor who was on Vacation of Post from the same university at the time of application and appointment; the only Vice Chancellor who had never been a Head of a Department or Dean of a Faculty prior to this appointment; the only person who had Police guards for 24 hours as a VC and many more of such exception.
The acceptance of his application was totally illegal in terms of the act and the E-code and the Waterloo begins. It ends with his nomination for the second term, approved by the UGC as legal.
He claimed that on the day of his assumption at the Eastern University he went and signed in the Department of Mathematics, thus terminating his VOP, which is the next waterloo. He had only requested for removal of VOP after the application to the VC post and letter went from University on December 1st to report and he agreed to report y end of February 2012, which he never did.
However at the time of reporting he was not a citizen of Sri Lanka and he thus has no right to sign as per E-Code. When this was raised the Faculty the administration just stated that he was ‘eligible’ with no documentation or proof of eligibility.
The 2nd Waterloo
Dr Kobindarajah never declared in his application of his VOP or citizenship and this was reported to the UGC on 4th November 2013 and to this day there had been no action by the UGC on it under the regulation.
The 3rd Waterloo
The Auditor General queried about the application during the VOP and the Non Citizenship factor from the university. The university on the advice of Dr Kobindarajah wrote ‘the requirement of citizenship was not in the advertisement’ and ignored the VOP clause.
This is the 4th Waterloo
Dr Kobindarajah applies for a duty free vehicle and gets one which he disposes. He is not entitled to the concession as a Vice Chancellor. He had not served continuously for eight years to be eligible as a Lecturer. In fact he had denied the benefit to other lecturers who were eligible and was restores on the order of the Minister of Higher Education at that time.
This is the 5th Waterloo
Dr. Kobindarajah reconstituted the leave and award committee (sub committee of the Senate) to keep away the Teachers Association representation in it. Not only that it was made of only Deans and Heads and no elected representative from the faculty from senate. The interesting aspect is that the decisions of the committee have been implemented without the approval of senate which is really null and void as it has no legal standing. Leave were arbitrarily, no pay leave was placed arbitrarily. Procedures were altered instantly and executed at the will to affect certain individuals positively or negatively.
This is the 6th Waterloo
Dean election had been postponed for more than a year against the UGC circular; appointment of a head was made before he assumed duties as Head of department; VC appointed the Head instead of Council; VC then ensures that person is elected Dean of Faculty.
This is the 7th multiple impact Waterloo
A person is appointed as Acting Dean as has been allowed to vote for the VC election. He had been away from the University for the past three weeks, having been also appointed the acting rector. He is allowed to Vote (illegal as the Dean is an elected position), the leave was interesting. He is granted leave from 5thOctober 2014(exact date may be incorrect) to 24th October 2014(exact date may not be correct) with the exception of 21st October 2014( the day of the VC election). The backdated leave was granted on 21stOctober 2014.
This is the X th waterloo, which drowns in the grave …
I could go on to list the irregularities and violations at Eastern University which I as a member of academic and we as Teachers Association of Eastern University are almost exhausted.
However with the change of government which promised corrupt free administration and charging those who violated laws as their MOTTO we still have a hope that the system may be able to rise from the graves of Waterloo. There is discussion on Changing the University Act. However if those who violated the law are buffered by the political verbosity and ambiguity to escape charges, then those affected would never get justice. If so, I have no option than to pray ‘may the God save higher education in this country from who prey on it’, academically, administratively and politically.
*DR. Thangamuthu Jayasingam – Senior Lecturer Eastern University
