Murasoli hails Jaya for clipping Guv’s powers

CHENNAI: On a rare note, DMK’s mouthpiece Murasoli on Friday recalled the Bill passed by the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa to curtail the power of Governor in appointing vice chancellor of Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University and appreciated her for succeeding in her task.

“The practice of appointing vice chancellors by the Chief Minister was introduced in Tamil Nadu before 28 years by the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa. In 1994, on the insistence of Jayalalithaa then Education Minister Ponnusamy tabled a Bill to make Chief Minister the Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University and handed over Chief Minister the power to appoint vice chancellors in the University. Jayalalithaa achieved that Chief Ministers will be the Chancellor for the University and curtailed the powers of the Governor,” said Murasoli.

Tamil Nadu government passed a couple of Bills in the Assembly to curtail the powers of Governor in appointing vice chancellors of state-run universities, but the Bill was not given assent by Governor RN Ravi. When the Bills were pending, the Governor appointed vice Chancellors for three universities.

However, recently, Chief Minister MK Stalin, in the conference of vice chancellors, asserted the right of the state government in appointing V-C of universities. The mouthpiece also said MM Punchi Commission also put forth the same recommendation.