EPS slams DMK govt over salary crisis in varsities

Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) strongly criticised the DMK government on Tuesday, accusing it of neglecting the serious financial and administrative problems plaguing Tamil Nadu’s universities. In a statement, EPS condemned the non-payment of salaries to both teaching and non-teaching staff in various State universities, calling it a major failure of the Stalin-led administration. His remarks came after faculty members of the University of Madras staged a protest on Monday over delays in salary disbursement. EPS claimed that the issue was not isolated, highlighting that employees and retired staff of Madurai Kamaraj University have reportedly not received their salaries or settlements for several years. He also pointed to complaints of irregularities in appointments at Tamil University in Thanjavur, which is allegedly facing similar salary issues. Adding to the crisis, EPS noted that nearly 8,000 assistant professor posts have remained vacant across 180 government colleges for the past three years. This has led to the closure or poor functioning of several departments, severely impacting the quality of higher education in the State. According to him, student enrolment in higher education has dropped during the 2024–2025 academic year due to the worsening situation. “Instead of solving these serious problems, the DMK government is busy indulging in publicity stunts,” EPS said. He added that the people of Tamil Nadu, especially students and educators, are fully aware of the reality and will not be fooled by what he called the “mirage” created by the DMK’s image-building efforts. EPS urged the government to take immediate steps to address the salary crisis, fill long-pending vacancies, and restore the credibility and functioning of Tamil Nadu’s higher education institutions.