Setback for Stalin govt as President Murmu returns Tamil Nadu varsity amendment Bill

Chennai: President Droupadi Murmu has returned the Tamil Nadu University of Madras Amendment Bill, seeking to empower the state government to appoint its vice chancellor, an official source said on Tuesday.

The TN Assembly, which passed the bill in April 2022, had sent it for presidential assent, aiming to take control of the 168-year-old university which has been managing the affairs without a vice chancellor for over two years.

The bill sought to amend the University of Madras Act by transferring the power to appoint and remove the VC from the governor, now serving as ex-officio chancellor of the varsity, to the state government by replacing "chancellor" with "government" in the Act.

The President had recently returned the bill to the assembly for reconsideration, the official said.

Earlier, Governor R N Ravi had reserved the bill for presidential consideration citing concerns that the proposed move would be in conflict with the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulation and established norms governing VC appointments.

Following its return, the assembly has to reconsider the proposed legislation, the official added.

About 14 out of 22 varsities, including the University of Madras, have been functioning under convenor committees in the absence of regular VCs.