Governor Ravi withdraws notifications on VC search committees
The Raj Bhavan said the governor is hopeful that the government will now constitute search committees including a nominee of UGC chairman in line with the judgments of constitutional courts.
Amidst the ongoing standoff between the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan and the state government on the appointment of vice chancellors to three universities, governor R N Ravi on Tuesday withdrew three notifications he had issued last year on the matter.
“The governor is hopeful that the government will now constitute search committees including a nominee of UGC (University Grants Commission) chairman in line with the judgments of constitutional courts,” the Raj Bhavan said in a statement.
However, he also sought that the state withdraws its three notifications and go forward by issuing fresh notifications for constituting search committees in line with the UGC regulations 2018 and judgments of the Supreme Court and high courts.
Governor Ravi cited a judgement of the Madras high court from December 19 last year directing the Government of Puducherry and the Puducherry Technological University to take immediate measures to amend statutory provisions governing the varsity to bring it in conformity with the UGC Regulations 2018.
“In view of this clear enunciation of the law, the Hon’ble Governor of Tamil Nadu, in his capacity as Chancellor of the Universities concerned is confident that in deference to constitutional proprietary and legality, the Government of Tamil Nadu would withdraw its Notifications…” the Raj Bhavan’s statement said, adding, “..and awaits appropriate action from the Government of Tamil Nadu at the earliest in this regard to ensure that the cause of higher education and (the) future of several hundred thousand students in the State are not adversely affected.”