Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi has “withdrawn” three controversial notifications unilaterally constituting search committees for shortlisting Vice-Chancellor candidates for three State-run Universities.
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A Raj Bhavan press release on January 9 said the Governor was “hopeful” the Tamil Nadu government would constitute search committees by including a nominee of the University Grants Commission (UGC), in line with various Supreme Court judgments.
The Governor had last year issued notifications constituting Search-cum-Selection Committee for identification of candidates for appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of the Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, the Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University, Chennai, and the University of Madras.
Meanwhile, the Higher Education Department had issued notifications constituting the search committees sans a nominee of the UGC.
The Governor, as Chancellor of certain universities, “reposing confidence” that the Government of Tamil Nadu would act in consonance with the judgments of the Supreme Court of India and the recent judgment of the Madras High Court withdrew the notifications issued by him, the official communication from the Raj Bhavan said.
“The Governor is hopeful that the Government will now constitute Search Committees, including a nominee of UGC [University Grants Commission] chairman in line with the judgments of Constitutional courts,” it said. The Raj Bhavan communication comes a few days after Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, along with senior Ministers and Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena called on Governor R.N. Ravi in the Raj Bhavan and discussed affairs of the State, in line with the advice of the Supreme Court.
Citing the judgment of the Madras High Court delivered on December 19, 2023 in V. Palaniappa Vs. Secretary to Chancellor, Puducherry Technological University and others case, the Raj Bhavan release said: “In view of this clear enunciation of the law, the Governor of Tamil Nadu, in his capacity as Chancellor of the concerned Universities, is confident that in deference to constitutional proprietary and legality, the Government of Tamil Nadu would withdraw its notifications” and would forthwith issue notifications constituting panels for appointment of Vice-Chancellors, in line with the UGC regulations and in line with the judgments of the Supreme Court and High Courts.
“The Governor of Tamil Nadu, in his capacity as the Chancellor of certain universities in Tamil Nadu, is also confident that Government of Tamil Nadu, in deference to the direction of the UGC as upheld by the Supreme Court and High Courts, will bring the provisions of the various universities in Tamil Nadu, in line with the UGC Regulations as applicable,” it said.
Since the Governor of Tamil Nadu was “hopeful that the Government of Tamil Nadu will do the needful as indicated”, he was withdrawing the notifications and “awaited appropriate action from the Government of Tamil Nadu at the earliest in this regard to ensure that the cause of higher education and future of several hundred thousand students in the State are not adversely affected.”
