Tamil Nadu Government Approaches Supreme Court Against Governor RN Ravi Over Appointment Of Vice Chancellors

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday (2 November) moved the Supreme Court against Governor RN Ravi stating that he had issued notifications for search and selection committees for the appointment of Vice Chancellors to three universities in the state by violating state laws.

The three universities are Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University and Madras University.

According to a report by India Today, which was published after the notifications, the main point of contention was the inclusion of the UGC Chairman's nominee in the committees, which according to the Governor was needed as per a Supreme Court directive in 2018.

The state government had then said that the Governor did not have the authority to constitute the committees, stated the report.

Calling the notifications a “gross and patent violation of the university statutes and government order of January 11, 2021," the petition also stated, "in his usual non-cooperative attitude has been causing impediments and embarrassment in the State government machinery and has been issuing notifications through his Governor’s office for constituting search-and-selection committees unilaterally and contrary to State statutes in order to impose 7.3 (ii) of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations 2018, which stipulates for at least one member of the committee to be a nominee of the Chairman, UGC,” reported The Hindu.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu Govt Moves Supreme Court Seeking Directions To Governor To Give Assent To Bills And Orders In Specified Time Frame