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Governors

Tamil Nadu Governor Accuses State Government of "Stonewalling" Vice-Chancellor Appointments

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has accused the state government of bypassing University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations and usurping the legal framework governing vice-chancellor appointments in state universities. According to an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the governor's office rejected the state's counter-claims, stating that the real cause of delays in filling vice-chancellor vacancies was the state government's effort to divest the governor of the appointing authority. The UGC has endorsed the governor's position, saying that the state legislature's amendments run afoul of UGC Regulations and that the regulations have the force of law that must be followed by all universities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Tamil Nadu government has challenged an interim order of the Madras High Court that stayed the operation of amendments enacted by the state legislature, which remove the governor's power to appoint vice-chancellors and instead empower the state government to make appointments.
  • The governor's office has accused the state government of stonewalling the appointment of vice-chancellors and of attempting to usurp the legal framework governing such appointments by vesting the power in itself in breach of mandatory UGC provisions.
  • The state government has contended that the high court acted with "undue haste" and stayed the operation of nine statutes enacted by the state legislature, many of which had received deemed assent as per the Supreme Court's judgment dated April 8 in State of Tamil Nadu Vs Governor of Tamil Nadu.
  • The dispute concerns the power to appoint vice-chancellors in state universities, with the governor's office and the UGC claiming that the state government's amendments are inconsistent with UGC Regulations and therefore cannot prevail.
  • The governor's affidavit sets out a chronological record of correspondence between Raj Bhavan and the state government about the constitution and reconstitution of search cum selection committees for state universities.
  • The governor has included a nominee of the UGC chairman in the reconstituted committees, in line with UGC Regulations and earlier judicial directions.

Statistics:

  • 10: The number of re-enacted state bills reserved by Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi for presidential assent in April, which were later struck down by the Supreme Court.
  • 9: The number of statutes enacted by the Tamil Nadu legislature that were stayed by the Madras High Court, many of which had received deemed assent as per the Supreme Court's judgment dated April 8.
  • 1: The number of UGC Regulations that have been cited by the governor's office and the UGC as having the force of law that must be followed by all universities.

Sources:

  • Hindustan Times, "Tamil Nadu Governor accuses state government of 'stonewalling' vice-chancellor appointments" (no date mentioned in original text)
  • Supreme Court of India, "State of Tamil Nadu Vs Governor of Tamil Nadu" (judgment dated April 8)
  • University Grants Commission (UGC), "UGC Regulations, 2018" (no date mentioned in original text)
  • Madras High Court, "Interim order dated May 21" (no date mentioned in original text)
  • The April 8 ruling by the Supreme Court had struck down Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi's controversial move to reserve 10 re-enacted state bills for presidential assent. The matter is now part of a presidential reference pending before the top court.

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