The Governor had announced the constitution of the Search-cum-Selection Committee for picking the VC for the University of Madras.
Published Sep 20, 2023 | 6:44 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 20, 2023 | 6:44 PM
File photo of Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi with Chief Minister MK Stalin. (Supplied)
The Tamil Nadu government has issued a gazette notification on a search committee to recommend names for the post of vice chancellor for the University of Madras, retaining three of the four nominees who were included in an earlier panel announced by Governor RN Ravi.
Ravi had earlier this month announced the constitution of the Search-cum-Selection Committee for picking the VC for the top varsity, a move that did not go down well with the state government which alleged that he took “unilateral” decisions on the matter.
In the gazette notification of the Higher Education Department dated 13 September, the state government retained Prof Battu Satyanarayana, Vice Chancellor, Central University of Karnataka, K Deenabandu IAS (Retd), Member, State Planning Commission, and Dr P Jagadeesan, former Vice Chancellor, Bharathidasan University, while leaving out Prof HCS Rathore, Former VC, Central University of South Bihar, who was named in the committee nominated by Ravi.
On 6 September, Ravi had issued notifications constituting three search-cum-selection committees to recommend three names each for the posts of VCs for the University of Madras, Bharathiar University (BU), and the Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University (TNTEU).
Ravi, Chancellor of the universities in the state, had named Prof Satyanarayana as the Chancellor’s nominee/convener, Deenabandu as the Syndicate Nominee, and Jagadeesan as the Senate Nominee.
Further, the notification stated that the search-cum-selection committees would recommend three names to the Chancellor (Governor) for the appointment of VCs in the respective universities.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy lashed out at the Governor in a statement issued after the Raj Bhavan released the notification of search committee appointments.
Questioning the authority of the Governor over the appointment of search-cum-selection committees, the minister said that the committees were unilaterally constituted and added that the appointments were illegal.
Pointing out the pendency of the Bill passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that accords powers to the state in the appointment of VCs, Ponmudy said that the government would legally face the notification issued by the Governor on the appointment of the committees.
(with PTI inputs)
