State set to replace governor with CM as chancellor of universities

State set to replace governor with CM as chancellor of universities

TNN | Nov 22, 2023, 05.27 AM IST

State set to replace governor with CM as chancellor of universities

Chennai: Tamil Nadu is in the process of changing the chief minister as the Chancellor of state universities replacing the governor, the state Advocate-General R Shunmugasundaram told Madras high court on Tuesday.

Shunmugasundaram made the submission in response to a public interest writ petition challenging the formation of a search committee to select vice-chancellor for University of Madras without a member nominated by the UGC.

Responding to the submission, the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy observed that the court was not concerned about it in the present plea.

“All we wanted to know is whether the University is receiving funds from the UGC,” the judges said. Since the A-G sought some time to ascertain the details, the court adjourned the hearing to December 18.

On November 4, while admitting the plea moved by advocate B Jagannath, the court observed that inclusion of a member nominated by the UGC would be mandatory if the university is receiving funds from UGC.

According to the petitioner, a bare perusal and plain reading of the GO would highlight the fact quite clearly that the nominee of the UGC has been let out deliberately in contravention of the directives of the Supreme Court.

“The GO passed by the state is without jurisdiction and smacks of bona fides as the same has been done as part of an ego tussle with malicious political motives to undermine, discredit, downgrade and destroy the phenomenal historical educational institution,” he said.

Therefore, he wanted the court to set aside the GO dated September 13 as illegal, void and unconstitutional.