At long last, students in Bharathiar University are hopeful about imminent appointment of a Vice-Chancellor in the wake of the Supreme Court’s terse directive to the Governor and the government to set the process in motion.

The students have been the worst sufferers in the absence of adequate faculty to handle classes.

After completion of an entire Semester, and the start of the Even Semester in the 2024-25 session, the Finance Committee has only now approved appointment of 60 guest faculty, sources said. There was an air of hope on the issue of V-C appointment for a tangible outcome in a week’s time during the recent meeting of the Syndicate, university sources said.

The university has remained without a Vice-Chancellor for more than two years. Despite being without a Vice-Chancellor for the lengthiest duration when compared to the other State universities, the BU has managed to hold on to its robust NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) for the last two years.

However, senior faculty are sceptic of the university maintaining the same momentum in the years to come in the absence of a full-time Vice-Chancellor.

Ever since the previous Vice-Chancellor, P. Kaliraj, stepped down from the post on October 19, 2022, the university is being administered by a V-C Committee, which has to overcome several limitations for effective functioning.

According to a post-graduate student, the work culture of substantial number of faculty has gone for a toss. “There seems to be no accountability; the classroom teaching-learning sessions have now become far and few between. The Supreme Court’s intervention is the best thing to happen,” another student said.

Requesting anonymity, some of the professors acknowledged the prevailing state of affairs and expressed unanimity in endorsing the view of the students.