Former Member of Bharathiar University Vice-Chancellor Committee P. Thirunavukkarasu has made a representation to the Higher Education Department seeking intervention to ensure conformity by the varsity with the Government Order (GO) on retirement and tenure of college principals issued during 2021.The GO states that the retirement age of college principals was 60, and that the tenure of principalship should not exceed 10 years.
The Bharathiar University Governing Council had, during July 2024, sent a circular to all college principals to that effect that a principal can be appointed for five years, and the tenure is extendable for another period of five years.The Madras High Court had subsequently issued an order endorsing the stand of the State government, in response to a petition filed by a principal of a self-financing college.However, the High Court, had, during April, 2026, issued a directive stating that the order does not apply to self-financing colleges.The order was an outcome of the university siding with the managements of self-financing colleges, Prof. Thirunavukkarasu said, demanding appropriate action against those responsible for not presenting the earlier orders on retirement and tenure in the right perspective in the High Court.The faculty, Prof.
Thirunavukkarasu said, were in favour of the University challenging the High Court order leaving out self-financing colleges out of the purview of the earlier order on retirement age and tenure of principalship.