Prez returns Madras varsity bill

Prez returns Madras varsity bill 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 30.12.2025

Chennai : President Droupadi Murmu has returned the bill passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2022 amending the Madras University Act, 1923, to empower the state govt to appoint and remove the vice-chancellor of the University of Madras. This power is now vested with the governor, who is the chancellor of the state university. Sources in the higher education department said the President returned the bill a few days ago.

The Tamil Nadu assembly had passed two bills to amend the laws governing 13 state universities to empower the state govt to appoint vice-chancellors. In view of the delay in giving approval to these bills by the governor, Supreme Court deemed 10 bills as assented to by the governor and empowered the state govt to appoint vicechancellors. However, Madras high court stayed process of appointment of vice-chancellors to state universities. The amendment to Madras University Act, 1923, which empowered the state govt to remove the vice-chancellor, needed assent from the President as the act was passed before Independence.

No V-C since 2003,  Madras univ sans V-C since 2023 The bill said, “The vice-chancellor shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the government passed on the ground of wilful omission or refusal to carry out the provisions of this Act or abuse of the powers vested in him.” It further stated that govt shall order an inquiry by a judge of the high court or an officer not below the rank of chief secretary in a case where it proposed to remove the V-C. It also said the vice-chancellor shall be given an opportunity to make a representation. In the statement of objects and reasons of the bills, then higher education minister 

Ponmudy said that in the Gujarat University Act, 1949, and the Telangana Universities Act, 1991, the respective state govt has the power to appoint vice-chancellors of universities. The University of Madras has been functioning without a V-C since August 2023 due to a tussle between the Governor and state govt on appointing a UGC nominee in the V-C search committees.

All benefits as per statutes for Calicut varsity V-C: Arlekar

All benefits as per statutes for Calicut varsity V-C: Arlekar

The Hindu Bureau

Kozhikode 12.10.2025

The office of Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who is also the Chancellor of State universities, has issued an order clarifying that P. Raveendran, Vice-Chancellor (V-C), University of Calicut, “shall have all the authorities, powers, duties, and responsibilities, conferred on V-Cs, in terms of the acts and statutes of the university.”

This comes in the wake of the explanations sought by the Kerala State Audit department related to the appointment of certain staff in his office and official bungalow and the use of his official quarters in his capacity as Professor, Department of Chemistry. Mr. Raveendran, originally a Professor in the department, was given full charge of the V-C in July 2024 by the then Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. He was not selected to the post by a search-cum-selection committee as mandated by the University Grants Commission. The Audit department’s actions followed a complaint raised by P.P. Sumod, Left Democratic Front MLA, who is a Syndicate member of the university.

Mr. Sumod pointed out in his complaint that Mr. Raveendran, who has been holding the additional responsibilities as V-C, was not entitled to use the official bungalow. He was also not supposed to appoint staff in the office. Mr. Sumod also alleged that Mr. Raveendran was not discharging his duties in the Department of Chemistry.

The Chancellor’s office, however, clarified in the order issued on October 8 that he should not be treated as an “officer in charge” or “in any manner inferior to the regularly appointed V-Cs”. He shall not be obliged to perform his normal duties attached to his original post during the tenure of his appointment, and he has the discretion to decide on the issue. He shall be eligible for a furnished accommodation as admissible to the V-C, notwithstanding the staff accommodation available to him. Mr. Raveendran is also entitled to other benefits such as an official vehicle with a driver, medical allowances, and leave travel allowance, the order said.

The order shall have retrospective effect from the date of notification of his appointment. However, the order also said that he shall not have any claim for continuance or permanency in the post.

துணைவேந்தர்களை மிரட்டுவது அவசரநிலையை காட்டுகிறது:

துணைவேந்தர்களை மிரட்டுவது அவசரநிலையை காட்டுகிறது: 

ஆளுநர் ரவி 

மாநாட்டில் துணை வேந்தர்களை பங்கேற்க விடாமல் தடுத்த விதம், அவசரகால நாட்களை நினைவூட்டுகிறது என்று ஆளுநர் ரவி தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

DIN Published on: 25 ஏப்ரல் 2025, 5:25 pm Updated on: 25 ஏப்ரல் 2025, 5:25 pm 

மாநாட்டில் துணை வேந்தர்களை பங்கேற்க விடாமல் தடுத்த விதம், அவசரகால நாட்களை நினைவூட்டுகிறது என்று ஆளுநர் ரவி தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இதுகுறித்து அளுநர் மாளிகை வெளியிட்டுள்ள எக்ஸ் தளப் பதிவில், "முதல்வர் ஸ்டாலின் காவல்துறையைப் பயன்படுத்தி, இன்று முன்கூட்டியே திட்டமிடப்பட்டிருந்த மாநாட்டில் மாநில பல்கலைக்கழகங்களின் துணை வேந்தர்களை பங்கேற்க விடாமல் தடுத்த விதம், அவசரகால நாட்களை நினைவூட்டுகிறது. மாநில உயர்கல்வி அமைச்சர், துணை வேந்தர்களிடம் மாநாட்டில் பங்கேற்க வேண்டாம் என்று தொலைபேசியில் மிரட்டல் விடுத்தது பலனளிக்காத நிலையில், முதல்வர் ஸ்டாலின் காவல்துறையைப் பயன்படுத்தியுள்ளார்.

மாநாட்டு நாளில் ஒரு துணைவேந்தர் காவல் நிலையத்துக்கு விசாரணைக்காக அழைத்துச் செல்லப்பட்டுள்ளார். ஊட்டியை அடைந்த மற்றவர்கள் தங்கிய விடுதிகளின் அறை கதவுகள் நள்ளிரவில் தட்டப்பட்டுள்ளன. மாநாட்டில் பங்கேற்றால் உயிருக்கு மோசமான விளைவுகள் நேரிடும் என்றும், மாநாட்டில் கலந்து கொண்டால் வீடு திரும்ப அனுமதிக்கப்பட மாட்டீர்கள் என்றும் காவல்துறையினரால் அச்சுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளனர். இது காவல்துறையின் அப்பட்டமான துஷ்பிரயோகம் ஆகும்!

இங்கு காவல் ராஜ்ஜியமா நடக்கிறது? மாநிலத்துக்குள் ஒரு கல்வி மாநாட்டில் கலந்து கொள்ள துணை வேந்தர்களுக்கு கல்விச் சுதந்திரம் இல்லையா? அல்லது தலித் மற்றும் ஏழை மாணவர்களுக்குப் பெரிதும் உதவும் மாநில பல்கலைக்கழகங்களின் தரத்தை உயர்த்துவதன் விளைவுகள், எந்தவொரு தர மேம்பாடும் மாணவர்களை ஆர்வமுள்ளவர்களாகவும் ஊக்கமளிப்பவர்களாகவும் மாற்றும் என்பதால் இது தனது அரசியல் எதிர்காலத்துக்கு அச்சுறுத்தலாகலாம் என முதல்வர் ஸ்டாலின் அச்சப்படுகிறாரா?" - ஆளுநர் ரவி. இவ்வாறு அதில் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.

நீலகிரி மாவட்டம் உதகை ஆளுநர் மாளிகையில் பல்கலைக்கழகத் துணைவேந்தா்களின் இரண்டு நாள் மாநாடு வெள்ளிக்கிழமை காலை தொடங்கியது. இந்த மாநாட்டை குடியரசு துணைத் தலைவா் ஜகதீப் தன்கர் தொடங்கிவைத்து உரையாற்றினார்.

VC meet sparks faceoff between Tamil Nadu governor & govt

VC meet sparks faceoff between Tamil Nadu governor & govt

TNN | Apr 26, 2025, 04.26 AM IST

UDHAGAMANDALAM: The faceoff between Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi and the state govt took a new turn with the former alleging that vice-chancellors of state universities were 'warned' by the govt not to participate in the two-day conference of VCs convened by Raj Bhavan on Friday. The DMK govt hit back at Ravi saying the VCs skipped the conference as it was 'illegal'.

While the VCs of state-run universities were absent, VCs from central universities and deemed-to-be universities participated. "Unfortunately, none of the vice-chancellors of state universities are participating. They have informed me that they have been warned by the state govt," the governor said at the conference, which was inaugurated by VP Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Guv organised conference 'adamantly in violation of law': TN higher edu mantri

Accusing govt of threatening some VCs, Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi said: "A VC had reached Ooty and something unprecedented happened. There was a midnight knock and a special branch police (officer) was there and he told him that if he (the VC) participated in the conference, he would not be able to go home and meet his family."

Referring to Salem Periyar University VC R Jagannathan, who was summoned on Friday by Suramangalam police for an inquiry pertaining to allegations that he floated a private firm and used university premises to run it, Ravi said: "Another VC is at the police station at the moment."

Ravi said there is no politics involved in organising the conference, claiming that it has been showing results. "But perhaps for people in govt, it is not a comfortable situation."

Hitting back at the governor, TN higher education minister Govi Chezhian said Ravi convened the conference in a deliberate attempt to pick a fight with the state govt since SC gave a ruling in govt's favour empowering it to appoint VCs.

Chezhian said the governor organised the conference "adamantly in violation of the law" even after SC verdict. "The VCs were aware that the conference was illegal and have skipped it. How is the state govt responsible for their absence?"

Chezhian took a dig at the Vice-President as well. "Participation of Dhankhar in the conference is not surprising. The whole country saw his aggressive activities against Mamta Banerjee govt when he was West Bengal governor."

DMK MP P Wilson posted on X: "I condemn these false and irresponsible statements made by the Governor, who is proving to be incorrigible. How can a Governor make such baseless allegations against his own govt?"