5 days Ago By A Ragu Raman
Chennai: University of Madras's budget for 2025-26 was not tabled at varsity's senate meeting on Saturday. Instead, the senate passed budget for April alone, amounting to 19 crore. Every year, the university presents its budget for the next financial year at the senate meeting held in March.
J Innocent Divya, commissioner of technical education and member of convener committee, headed the meeting on Saturday. It was announced during the meeting that the university would spend 19 crore on payment of salaries, pensions, and maintenance of basic facilities in April. Professors said that without the approval of the senate, the university cannot spend any money on its routine affairs during the next financial year.
The university was told to prepare revised budget estimates for the year 2025-26. "State govt increased its allocation for University of Madras from 33 crore last year to 52 crore in the budget. Besides the expenditure for salary and pension, the university was told to revise its estimates for operational expenditure.
The university will prepare its revised budget for 2025-26 soon," higher education secretary C Samayamoorthy told TOI. The university is likely to submit budget estimates for around 150 crore. State govt has increased allocation for state universities to 700 crore in the budget .
"Conventionally, the university has to present the budget for next year at senate meeting and get approval. Only then can the university even pay staff salary," said S P Thyagarajan, former V-C. UoM has been functioning without a V-C for nearly two years now.
A four-member convener committee is running the varsity in the absence of a V-C. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with EID Wishes , Messages and quotes !.
