Chennai, March 11 Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi has urged the state government to notify the search committee for appointing the Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University, as constituted by the Chancellor.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan emphasised that the committee includes a nominee from the University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar.
The Governor had previously directed the state government in October 2024 to notify the formation of a four-member search committee, which includes the UGC Chairman's nominee.
However, the Raj Bhavan has said that a government order issued by the Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department on January 28, 2025, deliberately excluded the UGC Chairman's nominee.
The statement contended that this action violates Supreme Court rulings and existing UGC regulations.
The Raj Bhavan further declared that the state government's notifications, which disregarded the search committees constituted by the Chancellor, are void ab initio (invalid from the beginning) as they contradict the Supreme Court orders and UGC regulations.
"The Chancellor has called upon the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw the said notifications and issue fresh ones that align with the search committees constituted by the Chancellor, which include the UGC Chairman's nominee," the statement said.
It also referenced a Supreme Court ruling in the case of Prof. (Dr.) Sreejith P.S. vs. Dr. Rajasree M.S. & Others, which said that any Vice-Chancellor appointment based on recommendations from an improperly constituted search committee would be deemed invalid.
The Raj Bhavan reaffirmed that the search committee formed by the Chancellor adheres to the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University Act and the UGC regulations of 2018.
It also argued that the Supreme Court has upheld the mandatory inclusion of a UGC Chairman's nominee in search committees for state universities.
This latest development adds to the ongoing tensions between Governor R.N. Ravi and the Tamil Nadu government, led by the DMK.
The two sides have clashed on several issues, including the state's two-language policy.
Recently, Governor Ravi criticised the policy, arguing that it puts Tamil Nadu students at a disadvantage compared to their peers in neighbouring states.
The Raj Bhavan has also opposed the state government's stance on language education.
--IANS
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