Tamil Nadu governor, Stalin's government cross swords again over appointment of V-Cs to universities

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi and the Higher Education Department are locked in an intense battle over the appointment of Vice-Chancellors for four state-run universities, in yet another confrontation between the state government and the Raj Bhavan.

While the governor wants the search committees of V-Cs to have four members, including a nominee of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the DMK dispensation says it is not warranted and that three members are enough.

The governor had earlier this week written to the government asking it to recall the V-C search committee constituted for Annamalai University without the UGC member. On Friday, he nudged the government to notify the search committees for Anna University, Bharathidasan University, and Periyar University.

“The inclusion of the UGC Chairman’s nominee in the search Committee of these Universities are held to be mandatory by the Supreme Court. The Chancellor, acting within the ambit of constitutional and legal provisions, has constituted the search committee to ensure a fair and impartial selection process for the Vice Chancellor,” the Raj Bhavan said.

The governor’s office took objection to “purposeful exclusion” of the UGC Chairman’s nominee, arguing that any appointment as a Vice-Chancellor made on the recommendation of the Search Committee, constituted contrary to the provisions of the UGC Regulations shall be “void ab initio.”

He also reminded the government that any selection by the search committee constituted without UGC Chairman’s nominee is bound to be quashed by courts. However, Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhian said the governor’s statement has nothing new except for the fact that his only interest is the inclusion of a UGC nominee in the search committee.

“The UGC guidelines are merely recommendations and there is no need to follow them. To pressurise a democratically-elected state government to simply follow the UGC guidelines is nothing but an ulterior motive with political connotation. The governor should avoid this confrontation and allow universities in the state to impart education,” Chezhian said.

Six universities, including the above mentioned four, are functioning without V-Cs for the past several months due to the confrontation between the governor and the government with the Higher Education department becoming the biggest casualty.

The minister asked the governor to “stop interfering” in the internal affairs and functioning of state-funded universities. “This is beyond the powers vested with the governor. Due to the Governor’s activities, the functioning of several varsities has taken a hit. We fear whether the students' future will become a question mark,” he said.

Ravi and the Stalin-led dispensation have been at loggerheads for the past three years over a host of issues leading to the Higher Education Minister boycotting several convocation ceremonies in the past to protest against the Governor’s attitude. Though the universities are funded by the state government, the Governor, as the chancellor, gets to appoint the VCs.