The University of Madras’s iconic Marina Campus, home to the century-old Oriental Research Institute (ORI) building, is set for a ₹19 crore facelift under Tamil Nadu’s special projects initiative. The Indo-Saracenic masterpiece, plagued by leaks and crumbling walls, will undergo urgent restoration starting November 2025 — but a three-day evacuation deadline has triggered panic among faculty.

A circular issued by Registrar Rita John on October 27 ordered all departments — including Arabic, Malayalam, Hindi, and Sanskrit — to vacate the ORI building by October 31. Failure to comply risks fund reversion to the government, the notice warned. The Public Works Department (PWD) will lead the year-long overhaul, aiming for completion by late 2026.

Faculty slammed the abrupt directive, citing no alternative space for classes, research, or priceless manuscripts. With semester exams starting in early November, one professor fumed: “Where will we teach? Where do we store centuries-old documents?” The sudden move threatens to derail academic continuity.

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John pushed back, insisting two months of prior consultations occurred and adequate arrangements are in place. “Classrooms in Chepauk campus and a secure room in the new hostel are allocated,” she clarified, urging cooperation. “This is about preserving heritage — departments must adjust for just one year.”

As Chennai’s oldest university braces for transformation, the clash between urgent restoration and academic survival reveals the high cost of saving history — even if it means evicting the present.

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