Governor Ravi is 'hopeful' the state government will now constitute search committees, including a nominee of the UGC chairman.
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi. (Raj Bhavan/ Twitter)
In a surprising turn of events, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has “withdrawn” three controversial notifications to unilaterally constitute search committees to shortlist vice-chancellor candidates in three state-run universities.
A press release issued by Raj Bhavan in Chennai, on Tuesday, 9 January, stated: “The Governor of Tamil Nadu, as Chancellor of certain universities, reposing confidence that the Government of Tamil Nadu would act in consonance with the judgements of the Supreme Court of India and the recent judgement of the Madras High Court, withdraws the notifications issued by him constituting search panels for recommending panels of three persons to the Chancellor for appointment of vice-chancellors.”
It added that the Governor is “hopeful” that the state government will now constitute search committees, including a nominee of the UGC chairman, in line with recent court judgements.
Citing the judgement of the Madras High Court delivered on 19 December, 2023, in the V Palaniappa vs Secretary to Chancellor, Puducherry Technological University, and others case, the press 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 issue notifications constituting panels for appointment of vice-chancellors, in line with the UGC regulations and in line with the judgements of the Supreme Court and high court.
The Raj Bhavan communication comes a few days after Chief Minister MK Stalin, along with senior ministers, called on Governor Ravi at the Raj Bhavan and discussed affairs of the state, in line with the advice of the Supreme Court.
On 6 September, 2023, Governor Ravi issued a notification as Chancellor of universities constituting three search-cum-selection committees to recommend three names each to the posts of vice-chancellors for the University of Madras, Bharathiar University (BU), and the Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University (TNTEU).
For Madras University, Ravi appointed Battu Satyanarayana, vice-chancellor of Central University of Karnataka, as the Chancellor’s nominee and the convener of the committee. K Deenabandu, a Member of the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission, was appointed as the university Syndicate’s nominee, and P Jagadeesan, former vice-chancellor of Bharathidasan University, as the Senate’s nominee.
The Governor also inducted HCS Rathore, former vice-chancellor of the Central University of South Bihar, as the UGC chairman’s nominee.
Questioning the Governor’s authority to unilaterally appoint search-cum-selection committee members, Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy termed the appointments illegal.
The minister also maintained that the universities in Tamil Nadu were governed by their own laws and there was no mandate to include the UGC chairman’s nominee.
He further said that the government would legally face the notification issued by the Governor.
Soon after, on 13 September, the principal secretary of the Higher Education Department issued a gazette notification on a government search committee, excluding the UGC chairman’s nominee, but retaining the other three members.
Governor RN Ravi responded by asking the state government to withdraw the gazette notification of a search-cum-selection committee to appoint a vice-chancellor to the University of Madras, terming it “void ab initio”.
In the directive issued on 26 September, the Raj Bhavan said the notification by the principal secretary of the Department of Higher Education was “an act of impropriety”.
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