Madras High Court halts Tamil Nadu's new VC appointment laws

In a setback to the ruling DMK government, the Madras High Court on Wednesday stayed the operation of amendments recently notified by the Tamil Nadu government that took away the governor's powers to appoint Vice-Chancellors (VC) to various state-run universities, and vested these powers with the state government instead.

The stay order was passed by a bench of Justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan late on Wednesday evening. The Tamil Nadu government and Governor RN Ravi have locked horns on multiple issues, including the VC appointments. The Supreme Court had earlier this year ordered the parties to settle their disagreements regarding VC appointments. In April this year, the Tamil Nadu government notified 10 bills pertaining to universities, giving the state the authority to name and dismiss VCs and designate members for important university bodies.

The HC decision was in response to a public interest litigation filed by BJP functionary K Venkatachalapathy who argued that the 10 Amendment Acts, passed after the SC's intervention and without the governor's assent, were repugnant to existing University Grants Commission regulations. These regulations mandate that VCs must be appointed via a search-cum-selection committee and with the approval of the Chancellor, traditionally the Governor.


The Tamil Nadu government, on its part, requested the SC to transfer the case, citing that similar matters were already being heard by the apex court. However, the Madras HC's division bench went ahead and admitted the petition, directing both the central and state governments to file their responses.