Academicians opposed Periyar University’s move to provide re-employment to preferred teachers and demanded action against the university administration for its continuous alleged illegalities.

Recently, Periyar University sent a circulation agenda dated June 17 to its Syndicate members for providing re-employment for a professor, S. Velayuthan, in the Tamil department who is superannuating on June 30. Earlier, in the 119th Syndicate meeting held on March 9, 2026, Syndicate members deferred to provide re-employment and asked to consult with the Law department. The university now sends this agenda again for providing re-employment from July 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027.

The Association of University Teachers (AUT) Tamil Nadu general secretary K. Raja said that the university is allegedly granting illegal re-employment to preferred teachers retiring in June, causing crores of rupees to the public exchequer. The grant of illegal re-employment began in 2022 with P. Kumaradhas, followed by S. Anbazhagan, C. Selvaraj, and V. R. Palanivelu on one hand, while denying re-employment to similarly retired teachers S. Murugesh, N. Rajendran, and A. Muthusamy during 2022-26, who were also born in June. K. Prem Kumar, the then general secretary of the Periyar University Teachers Association (PUTA), who pointed out this illegality, was suspended and later terminated.

The government-constituted inquiry committee under IAS officer S. Palanisamy also recorded this illegality of granting re-employment to teachers retiring in June in its interim report. The present administration also treads the earlier path of illegality in granting re-employment to preferred teachers. The university will sustain a loss of ₹26 lakh by providing re-employment for the Tamil professor now. The State government should stop this illegality and also order a high-level inquiry into the illegal grant of re-employment from 2022, Mr. Raja added.

V. Vaithianathan, former president of PUTA, who was denied re-employment, said that bribery plays a vital role in re-employment from 2022. The present Periyar University Vice-Chancellor Committee member R. Subramani, who along with all government officials in the Syndicate, opposed providing re-employment to a professor, Muthusamy, in 2024, is now allegedly trying to provide re-employment for the Tamil professor.

The university provided re-employment for the professors who allegedly supported the university’s irregularities. The Chief Minister who is batting for eradicating corruption should order an inquiry into this issue and take stern action against the VC committee members, Mr. Vaithianathan added.

A senior official of the university, who requested anonymity, said that based on the Syndicate members’ decision in this issue, further action will be taken after getting consent from the convenor and higher education secretary.