Tamil Nadu passes Bill allowing state government to appoint VCs

Chennai, April 25

The Tamil Nadu Assembly today adopted a Bill empowering the state government to appoint Vice-Chancellors to various universities in the state, in an apparent bid to clip the wings of the Governor.

Chief Minister MK Stalin recalled that the Punchhi Commission on Centre-state relations had, while dealing with the subject of VC appointments, said “there would be a clash of functions and powers”, if the authority to choose the top academician was vested with the Governor.

The ruling DMK’s move came on a day when state Governor RN Ravi inaugurated a two-day conference of VCs at Udhagamandalam.

The Governor is the Chancellor of 13 varsities in the state. On Monday, Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy tabled the Bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Universities Laws to allow the state government to appoint VCs. The BJP opposed the Bill at the introductory stage while the main Opposition AIADMK, taking exception to a remark on late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa by Congress legislature party leader K Selvaperunthagai, staged a walkout ahead of the passage of the Bill. —