Chennai: The ongoing standoff between the Governor of Tamil Nadu and the state government has resulted in five major universities, including Anna University, being left without Vice Chancellors (VCs). The situation is a direct consequence of the expiration of Anna University’s VC, R Velraj’s tenure, which has ended. This adds to the growing list of universities in Tamil Nadu currently lacking leadership. The list includes the University of Madras, Bharathiar University, Madurai Kamaraj University, and Tamil Nadu Teacher Education University.
The controversy centers on a disagreement over the composition of search committees responsible for appointing new Vice Chancellors (VCs) in Tamil Nadu. The conflict surfaced in September when Governor RN Ravi established three search-cum-selection committees to fill VC positions at the University of Madras, Bharathiar University, and Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University. Breaking from tradition, the governor added a fourth member to these committees by nominating a representative from the University Grants Commission (UGC), a move that has sparked opposition from the state government and led to a deadlock in the appointment process.
Traditionally, these committees are composed of three members, with one nominee each from the governor, the state government, and the concerned university. This new approach by the governor was met with resistance from Higher Education Minister and Pro-Chancellor of state universities, K Ponmudy, who argued that the governor lacked the unilateral authority to make such changes. Although the governor eventually retracted his notifications, the impasse continues, leaving the universities in a state of administrative paralysis.
This leadership vacuum has had significant consequences for both university staff and students. The absence of Vice Chancellors (VCs) in five Tamil Nadu universities has caused significant administrative disruptions. Without VCs, key processes like salary payments and issuing certificates have been stalled. This has severely impacted both staff and students. For example, over 55,000 students from various arts and science colleges affiliated with the University of Madras, who completed their exams in April 2023, have been waiting for their certificates for the past 18 months. A university professor, who requested anonymity, explained that only a VC can authorize a convocation ceremony, which is necessary for distributing certificates, underscoring the importance of filling these vacant positions promptly.
In Tamil Nadu, the governor has extended the tenures of Vice Chancellors at Periyar University and the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. However, he is unable to do the same for Anna University’s VC due to specific amendments in the university’s rules. These amendments have created a legal and procedural barrier, restricting the governor’s power to extend the tenure of the current VC, R Velraj, despite his ability to do so for other institutions.
In response to the ongoing administrative deadlock, opposition leaders such as PMK’s S Ramadoss and former AIADMK Chief Minister O Panneerselvam have called on both Chief Minister MK Stalin and the Governor to settle their differences. They stressed the importance of appointing new Vice Chancellors promptly to prevent further disruption to the state’s higher education system and emphasize that the prolonged delay is causing undue harm to students and staff, and a consensus is urgently needed to restore normalcy in these institutions.
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