Madras varsity’s website shut down as it hasn’t paid for firewall licence

University of Madras internet down, affecting exams, budget approval, and financial stability, leading to potential revenue loss.

The internet facility of the University of Madras has not been functioning for the past three days. The university’s website is down. It published the results of the Institute of Distance Education exams on March 25. 

A university professor said on Friday that a student lost her chance of doing internship at the Reserve Bank of India as she could not download her mark sheets. An official said the university had not paid the licence fee of ₹ 9 lakh for the firewall as approval had not been received from the Higher Education Secretary, who is the Chairman of the Convenor Committee that is administering the affairs of the university in the absence of a Vice-Chancellor.  

As the State government and the Governor are at loggerheads over inclusion of the University Grants Commission chairman’s nominee in the V-C search panel a V-C has not been appointed. The tenure of the previous V-C ended in August 2023. 

A professor said students who wanted to reappear for an IDE exam could not make e-payment. The shutdown of internet services would result in a revenue loss of ₹14 crore, he explained.

Annual budget not presented

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the senate of the University of Madras passed a budget for April alone under the chairmanship of J. Innocent Divya, the Commissioner of Technical Education and one of the convenor committee members. The university would spend ₹19.70 crore on payment of salaries and pensions to its staff and retirees and maintenance of basic facilities, she announced.

Rita John, a syndicate member, said the university faculty were concerned that the budget could not be presented. She suggested that a resolution be passed to request an interim relief fund to pay the salaries. In response to persistent queries from other university officials, Ms. Divya said the budget document could not be presented due to administrative reasons. She informed the senate that the budget document “is already with the Finance Committee Chairman. I have spoken to the Special Secretary-Finance also”.