TN told to get instructions from Guv in appointing V-C

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court (MHC) directed the State to get instruction from the Governor on giving an undertaking that the Madras University Vice-Chancellor (V-C) will not be appointed till the disposal of a case seeking to include the University Grants Commission (UGC) nominee in the search panel.

The first division bench comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy heard a petition preferred by advocate B Jagannath seeking inclusion of the UGC nominee in the Vice Chancellor search panel.

The petitioner had urged the court to quash a Government Order (GO) issued by the Higher Education Department on September 13, 2023, constituting a three-member search panel and, consequently, direct the State government to reconstitute the panel by including a UGC nominee.

Advocate General (AG) R Shunmugasundaram submitted that the State is in the process of appointing a Chief Minister as the Chancellor of Universities, replacing the Governor. “The UGC cannot control the State,” said the AG.

After the submission, the bench observed that the State should accept the UGC guidelines citing the Supreme Court’s order.

The High Court bench directed the State to get instruction from the Governor and adjourned the matter to December 20, for further hearing.