'Notify panel constituted by Guv on Madurai varsity VC appointment,' TN Raj Bhavan to DMK govt

Chennai, Jan 30 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Thursday urged the state government to recall its notification constituting a search committee for identifying a candidate for appointment as Madurai Kamaraj University vice-chancellor as the UGC chairman’s nominee had been "purposefully" excluded in that panel.

The government must instead notify the search committee constituted by him in which the UGC chairman's nominee is a member, Ravi urged.

Raj Bhavan said the Governor, in his capacity as the chancellor of state-run Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, constituted a search committee to identify a candidate for appointment as vice-chancellor of that varsity. That committee comprised of the nominees of the chancellor, syndicate, senate and the UGC chairman and it was as per the Madurai Kamaraj University Act, 1965, and the prevailing UGC regulations (2018), held mandatory by the Supreme Court.

The governor-chancellor, in his letter dated 16th December, 2024, directed the state government to notify that panel of four members, and which also had the chancellor's nominee as its convener. The higher education department issued a Government Order dated 9th January, 2025, notifying the search committee. However, the notification "purposefully excluded the UGC chairman’s nominee, in violation of the judgements of Supreme Court," the Raj Bhavan said in an official release.

The apex court judgment that governed the matter of V-C appointments (Prof Dr Sreejith P S Vs Dr Rajasree M S & others) had held that any V-C appointment made on the recommendation of a search committee, constituted contrary to the provisions of the UGC regulations shall be invalid right from the beginning of the process.

Hence, the notification published by the state government (dated 9th January, 2025) is not valid as it was contrary to the existing UGC regulations and orders of the Supreme Court. It also went against a communication sent by the governor-chancellor constituting a search committee by including the UGC chairman's nominee.

The chancellor, hence, urged the government of Tamil Nadu to recall the notification that did not have UGC representation and notify afresh the search committee constituted by him in which the UGC chairman's nominee is a member. PTI VGN VGN KH