Tamil Nadu Govt Has No Authority To Constitute V-C Search Panel, Must Withdraw Notice: Guv Ravi

Ravi, the Chancellor of public universities, stated that the notification was sent without the Chancellor's authorization as the university's leader.

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi.

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Tuesday stated that the state government's gazette announcement of a search-cum-selection committee for the appointment of a vice-chancellor, which excluded the UGC chairman's choice, lacked his authorization as Chancellor and should be revoked, news agency PTI reported. Ravi, the Chancellor of public universities, stated that the notification was sent without the Chancellor's authorization as the university's leader.

He further stated that the Principal Secretary to the State Higher Education Department has no participation in the activities of the institution, and as a result, the Chancellor has requested that the government rescind the notification issued in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette Extraordinary.

“By an act of impropriety, the Principal Secretary to Government, Higher Education Department, has issued a further notification of a Search-cum-Selection Committee by excluding the nominee of the UGC Chairman and the same is published in the Government Gazette on September 13, without adhering to the decision of the Supreme Court and in violation of the same,” Ravi was quoted by PTI in its report.

PHOTO | The Government of Tamil Nadu has no authority to constitute a committee to select the Vice-Chancellor for University of Madras without the approval of the Governor, says a statement issued by Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi. pic.twitter.com/uTxgi5aSG1

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 26, 2023

According to him, the said notification is "void ab initio," as it violates the UGC Regulations and the Supreme Court's judgement.

On September 6, the Governor, as Chancellor of the University of Madras, issued a notification establishing a search-cum-selection committee to identify a candidate for appointment as Vice-Chancellor.

According to the statement, the notice was also published on the Raj Bhavan website and made public through a press release issued in Tamil and English media.