Mahadevan Pillai becomes the new VC of Kerala Varsity Governor P. Sathasivam, the Chancellor of Kerala University has appointed V.P. Mahadevan Pillai, Professor, Department of Opto Electronics and Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Kerala University as the new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kerala for four years term. He is to take over the responsibilities of the office shortly.
The decision was made on the basis of the commonverdict by a panel including, former Chief Secretary Paul Antony; the government nominee, State Planning Board Vice-Chairman V. K. Ramachandran, the University Senate representative, and R. C. Kuhad, Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Haryana, the UGC nominee. The university was operating without a Vice-Chancellor after P.K. Radhakrishnan retired on February 22, 2018. As per UGC norms, the VC requires 10 years experience as a professor.
Pillai has worked as a professor in physics in the Department of Physics, St.Gregorios College, Kottarakara from 1982 to 2001. He joined the Department of Optoelectronics, Kerala University on May 17, 2001 as Reader and was promoted as Professor in the Department of Optoelectronics on July 1, 2005.He completed his Ph.D in Physics from Kerala University in 1996, M.Phil from the same university in 1992 and M.Sc in 1982 and B.Sc in Physics in 1980 from the same university. He has a teaching experience of 36 years.
He has also worked as Member, Senate and Academic Council of the University and also Member, Faculty of Applied Science and Technology and Chairman, Board of Studies in Optoelectronics and Member, Board of studies, Nano-science and nanotechnology.