Setback for MK Stalin government

President Droupadi Murmu has returned the Madras University (Amendment) Bill to the Tamil Nadu government, halting the state’s attempt to change the process of appointing vice-chancellors in state-run universities. The bill, passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly in April 2022, proposed amending the Madras University Act to vest the power of appointing and removing the vice-chancellor with the state government. Currently, this power rests with the Governor, who is also the ex-officio Chancellor of the university. The proposed amendment aimed to remove the reference to the Chancellor in the Act, thereby transferring the authority to the government. Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi had earlier reserved the bill for the President’s consideration, stating that these changes could conflict with the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations and established norms related to vice-chancellor appointments. This decision comes amidst a long-standing tussle between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government and the Governor over the administration of higher education institutions in the state. Nearly 14 of Tamil Nadu’s 22 state-run universities, including the 168-year-old Madras University, are currently functioning without regular vice-chancellors and are being run by convenor committees.