DCE has NOT issued orders for appointment of Principal: RTI

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE, MADURAI, THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS DATED 24-03-2011

IN a recent development to the American College crisis, the Directorate of Collegiate Education (DCE) has revealed that the office has NOT ISSUED ANY ORDERS for the appointment of principal-in-charge (to Mr. Mohan).

Providing details of the RTI filed by the members of Action Committee for Protecting American College Constitution (ACPACC), seeking information as to who had appointed the current principal of the American College, and if the Directorate had issued any orders to the effect and a copy pertaining to the same.

DCE in its reply number 5885/G4/2011 dated March 4, 2011 made by the General Information Officer, Assistant Director, Directorate of Collegiate Education, Chennai, stated that it received (only) an information through a letter from (one) Bishop , Christopher Asir dated December 1, 2010 that Mohan was appointed as principal-in-charge of the American College. The reply also said that the DCE does NOT issue any orders for the appointments of principal-in-charge.

Replying to a query on the High Level Committee appointed by the State and as who was the current administrator of the college, the DCE has replied that High Level Committee was formed through a Government Order (GO) dated February 18, 2011 and it (DCE) cannot answer the queries as the dispute was under the government’s review.

Talking to the media persons, P.T. Chellapa, president of ACPACC, and former principal of the college said that nthe RTI reveals that the DCE has NOT appointed the principal (Mr. Mohan) of the college as claimed by the Bishop and his coterie and the Bishop also cannot appoint anybody as principal since the constitution has NOT entitled him with such a kind of powers.

(This has been categorically and legally reinforced in the Judgement of the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court during August 2009, when Bishop made a similar attempt to instal Mr. George Selvakumar as principal of the college. You can find the Judgement here ).

According to the constitution of The American College, Bishop of the Madurai-Ramnad Diocese was accepted as the president of the Council from 1947 when CSI was formed, (just) to preside over the meeting(s) and the Bishop was NOT the official correspondent of the college (remember the college constitution came to effect since 1934. That is from 1934 to 1947 college Governing Council had NO bishops at all!). Bishop cannot represent the Governing Council in any legal matters, he is NOT the appointing authority for ANY post in the college and the Bishop cannot not make any direct appointment to the post of the principal.

Violating the constitution, Asir appointed Mohan as principal and claimed that he got the Order from DCE.

“We will take it up with the court and the police who have been saying that the government has appointed Mohan as the principal”, P T Chellapa said. He also urged the government to appoint a special administrator for the college till the dispute was resolved and disperse the salaries for the staff which was pending for last three months.

Dr. Samuel Lawrence, former vice-principal and Prof. A. Winfred, former Head of Zoology department and former Controller of Examinations, MKU were present during the press briefing.