V-C selection row: Govt notification void, says Guv; seeks withdrawal

CHENNAI: The turf war between the State government and Governor RN Ravi over the appointment of Vice-Chancellors of State-run universities is far from over, with the Raj Bhavan terming the government’s gazette notification regarding the appointment of search-cum-selection committee as void.

Adding that the State has no role in the affairs of universities, the statement issued by the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday even alleged that it was an act of impropriety on the part of the Higher Education department to issue the notification from which the nominee of the UGC chairman was excluded.

“By an act of impropriety, the Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department, has issued a further notification of a search-cum-selection committee by excluding the nominee of the UGC chairman and the same is published in the government gazette on September 13, without adhering to the decision of the Supreme Court and in violation of the same,” said the statement.

It said the Governor has asked the State government to withdraw the gazette notification which excludes the UGC chairman’s nominee appointed by the Governor.

“The notification is void ab initio [void at the outset itself], being contrary to the UGC Regulations and order of the Supreme Court. The said publication in the gazette is without any such authority from the Chancellor, being the head of the university and the Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department, has no role in the affairs of the university and hence the Chancellor has called upon to withdraw the notification published in the Tamil Nadu government gazette extraordinary,” it said.