President Droupadi Murmu sends back Tamil Nadu Bill on Vice-Chancellor appointments
President Droupadi Murmu has returned the University of Madras (Amendment) Bill to the Tamil Nadu government, dealing a fresh blow to the DMK government’s efforts to assert greater control over the administration of state-run universities, according to a report by The New Indian Express.
Chennai University (Amendment) Bill, 2022, sought to empower the State government to appoint the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras.
The decision brings back into focus the long-running tussle between the state government and Governor RN Ravi over the appointment of vice-chancellors in TN universities.
The State Assembly had passed the Bill through a voice vote in April 2022 and forwarded it to Governor Ravi.
However, the latter kept it pending for more than a year. Finally, it took a Supreme Court direction that Governors must decide within three months when a Bill is reserved for Presidential assent against the Cabinet’s advice for him to send it to the President.
While tabling the Bill, the then Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy cited examples from Gujarat and Telangana where State governments appoint Vice-Chancellors.
Chief Minister MK Stalin had also pointed out during debate that the Governor does not make V-C appointments even in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home State.