Chennai, Mar 11 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, who is also the Chancellor of State-run Universities, on Tuesday asked the State Government to recall the Order issued by it appointing
a Search Committee--without UGC nominee-to identify candidate for appointment as Vice-Chancellor (VC) for the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University, Chennai, triggering yet another confrontation with the ruling DMK.
A Raj Bhavan communique said "the Chancellor has called upon the Government of Tamil Nadu,
to recall the said notifications which is in difference to the Search Committees constituted by him, sent for issuing notification and directed to notify the Search Committee for appointment of VC of Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University (TNPESU), Chennai, as constituted by the Chancellor, which includes the UGC Chairman’s nominee.
The Governor, as the Chancellor of TNPESU has constituted the Search Committee for identification
of the candidate for appointment of the VC of the University, with the nominees of the Chancellor,
Syndicate, TN Government, Senate of the University and UGC Chairman’s nominee, as per the provisions of the TNPESU Act and as per prevailing regulations of UGC, 2018 which is held to be mandatory by the Supreme Court.
The Governor-Chancellor has directed the Government of Tamil Nadu, to notify the constitution
of the Search Committee of the Varsity vide letter dated October 24, 2024, consisting of the above four members, including UGC Chairman's nominee.
The Youth Welfare and Sports Department has issued a Government Order (GO) on January 28, 2025, notifying the Search Committee of the varsity and were published in the Official Gazette.
The said Notifications purposefully excluded the UGC Chairman’s nominee, in violation of the judgements of the Supreme Court, which had already held in the case of Prof. (Dr) Sreejith P.S.
Vs. Dr. Rajasree M.S. and Others that any appointment as a VC made on the recommendation
of the Search Committee, which is constituted contrary to the provisions of the UGC Regulations
shall be void ab initio.
The said notification (issued by the Government) is in difference to the Search Committees constituted, and is ‘void ab initio’ being contrary to the existing UGC regulations and prevailing
orders of the Supreme Court and the communication sent by the Governor-Chancellor constituting the Search Committee.
The Chancellor has called upon the Government of Tamil Nadu, to recall the said notifications
which is in difference to the Search Committee constituted, sent for issuing notification and directed
to notify the Search Committee for appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of TNPESU, Chennai, as constituted by the Chancellor, which includes the UGC Chairman’s nominee.
It may be recalled that recently the Governor had constituted Search Committees for some
State-run Universities that included the UGC nominee.
However, the DMK government, which had been on loggerheads with Raj Bhavan, not only on this matter, but also on various issues, 'overruled' it and formed a search panel on its own and published in the Official Gazette, prompting the Governor to direct the Government to recall them as it did not include the UGC Nominee.
This triggered a row as the Government contended that it was vested with powers to form such
Search Committees for appointing VCs for state-run Universities, and has also been time and
again, reiterating that the Chief Minister, duly elected by the people in a democratic way, should
hold the post of Chancellor as it was the State government which had built the varsities and
upgrading the infrastructure facilities using its own funds.
The Government also argued that the Post of Governor was only an unelected post (nominated
post).
It may be recalled at a meeting of the DMK MPs in January, a resolution was also adopted seeking
a Code of Conduct for the Governors till that post was abolished.
UNI GV 1430