Tamil Nadu governor withdraws notifications on V-C search panels

In the press release, Raj Bhavan mentioned that the state government had also issued three gazette notifications on different dates and they are “not in line with UGC regulations”.

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has withdrawn the notifications issued by him forming search committees to identify candidates for appointment as vice-chancellors for Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University and University of Madras.

Announcing the move in a press release on Tuesday, Raj Bhavan stated that the governor is hopeful the state government will constitute new search committees, including nominees of the University Grants Commission (UGC) keeping in line with the judgment of constitutional courts and will also suitably amend the laws governing the universities.

The development comes after a December 30 meeting between Chief Minister MK Stalin and Ravi on the Supreme Court’s suggestion that they discuss outstanding issues and pending bills. The governor issued the notifications on September 6, 2023, forming the committees, including UGC nominees, to recommend panels of three candidates to the chancellor for appointment of V-Cs.

This set off a conflict with the state government, which usually issues the gazette notification of the V-C search committees, over the inclusion of the UGC nominee in the panels. While the government has contended that the panels can be formed only as per the respective laws governing the universities, the governor has insisted on including a UGC nominee.

In the press release, Raj Bhavan mentioned that the state government had also issued three gazette notifications on different dates and they are “not in line with UGC regulations”. It also referred to the Madras High Court’s judgment last month in a case related to the Puducherry Technological University, which stated that the selection of the V-C through a search committee other than that contemplated under the UGC’s 2018 regulation cannot be sustained. The court had asked the Puducherry government and PTU to take immediate measures to carry out amendments to relevant statutory provisions governing the university to bring it in conformity with the 2018 regulations without any delay.

‘Guv confident that state govt will withdraw its notifications’

“The governor, in his capacity as chancellor of the concerned universities, is confident that the state government would withdraw its notifications published in Tamil Nadu Government Gazette Extraordinary and will forthwith issue notifications constituting search committees for recommending panels of three persons to the chancellor, for appointment to the post of vice-chancellors, in line with UGC regulations and SC and high court judgments,” Raj Bhavan said.

“He is also confident that the state government will bring the provisions of the various universities in Tamil Nadu in line with the UGC regulations. Hence, the governor has withdrawn the notifications and awaits appropriate action from the state at the earliest to ensure that the cause of higher education and the future of several hundred thousand students are not adversely affected,” the release added.

Meanwhile, higher education officials said the government will soon decide on the governor’s request to reconstitute the search committees with UGC nominees is a policy decision. The state government in November had moved the SC seeking to restrain the governor from issuing notifications constituting search panels or performing any similar acts contrary to the laws governing the varsities.

Will soon take a decision, says higher edu dept

Higher education officials said the government will soon decide on the governor’s request to reconstitute search panels with UGC nominees is a policy decision. The government in November had moved the SC seeking to restrain Ravi from issuing notification or constituting search panels or performing any acts contrary to laws governing the varsities