Fresh plea by TN challenges Governor’s decision for setting up Search Committees for appointment of VCs in 3 state varsities

New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government has petitioned the Supreme Court afresh against decision of the Governor unilaterally constituting the Search Committees for appointment of Vice Chancellors in three state universities.

The plea alleged that the Governor is leaving no stone unturned to commit gross and patent violation of the Constitution persistently and eroding his responsibilities bestowed by the Constitution consciously.

It added that the Governor has been continuously sitting upon the Bills passed, not considering files, remission orders and policies forwarded by the Tamil Nadu Legislature, not approving recruitment orders, granting approval to prosecute Ministers or MLAs involved in corruption cases is totally averse to his position as a Constitutional functionary.

“The non-action by the Hon’ble Governor has brought the entire administration of the State of Tamil Nadu to a grinding halt,” it said further.

The petition said that the Governor’s office has issued three separate notifications in the name of the Governor-Chancellor contrary to the State Statutes and state government policy decision by nominating extra statutory persons in Search Committees panels constituted for short listing the names for the appointment to the post of the Vice-Chancellors of state universities.

The plea said that such action of the Governor were not ultra vires to the 3 state statutes but also belittling the power of the state under List III Entry 25 of the VII Schedule of the Constitution besides aiming to paralyse the Universities and state educational machinery.

Interestingly, the state legislature has passed Bills removing the Governor from the post of Chancellor of these universities. As per the petition, the Governor has not given his assent and are lying on his tables for month together. “Had the assent been given, the (Governor)…will have no role in the appointments of Vice-Chancellors of all the Universities in the state, including the three universities,” the plea said.

It said that the Governor-Chancellor who is conferred with certain ex-officio functions under the state acts establishing the three state universities, namely the Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University, and the Madras University, in his “usual non-cooperative attitude” has been causing impediments and embarrassment in the state government machinery.

–IANS