Anna University Vice-Chancellor MK Surappa, has reportedly sent in his resignation as the chairman of the TNEA and TANCA (Tamil Nadu Common Admissions) committees to the state higher education secretary Mangat Ram Sharma. According to reports, Anna University will relieve itself from the task of conducting the annual engineering counselling following differences between the university administration and higher education department in the reconstitution of Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) committee.
Last year, amid controversies, the former director of IIT Ropar and honorary professor at IISc Bangalore, Surappa has appointed as new vice-chancellor of Anna University. After personally interviewing the three shortlisted candidates, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the Chancellor of State-run universities, made the appointment thus ending a nearly two-year long wait for a vice-chancellor.
The other two shortlisted candidates were UGC vice-chairman H Devaraj and S Ponnusamy, a retired professor of Mathematics in IIT Madras. Astrong criticism from politicians for appointing a non-Tamil as the Vice-Chancellor of Anna University, Surappa took charge as the head of the institution that has about 240 colleges affiliated to it.
Surappa, who holds a doctorate in metallurgical engineering, is also a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and a fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering. He has 150 research publications and four patents to his credit.
