Tamil Nadu moves Supreme Court against Kalaignar University bill being sent to President

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Governor’s decision to reserve the Kalaignar University Bill 2025 to the President instead of giving assent to it as advised by the state council of ministers.

The Bill looks to establish a university in Kumbakonam named after former chief minister M Karunanidhi by bifurcating Bharathidasan University, which will cater to the higher education needs of students in four districts: Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, and Tiruvarur.

The proposed varsity sought to make CM its
chancellor. The President may either give her assent to the Bill, withhold it, or return it for the Assembly’s reconsideration.

In its plea settled by senior advocate P Wilson and filed through Misha Rohatgi Mohta, the state contended that the Governor’s decision was illegal and patently unconstitutional for being violative of Articles 163(1) and 200 of the Constitution.

The state sought a direction from the court to call for the records pertaining to the July 14 letter and to quash it as arbitrary, illegal, and a mala fide exercise of power and unconstitutional.

It also asked the court to issue an order for the return of the Kalaignar University Bill, and it being placed before the Governor for consideration as per Article 200 in accordance with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, as contained in the note for circulation on May 2.

In April 2025, a two-judge bench invoked the power under Article 142 of the Constitution to declare the deeming of assent to the 10 bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly and kept pending by the Governor. It fixed a three-month timeline to clear subsequent Bills.

In May, a Presidential reference was made, invoking powers under Article 143(1), to know from the top court whether timelines could be imposed by judicial orders for the exercise of the President’s discretion while dealing with Bills passed by state Assemblies. The five-judge bench reserved its opinion in the matter.