Chennai: In what could escalate into another governor-govt face-off, Governor R N Ravi directed Tamil Nadu govt to recall the notification constituting a search committee to identify a candidate for the post of vice-chancellor of Annamalai University.
The governor said the committee does not include a nominee of the University Grants Commission (UGC) as per the direction of the Supreme Court.
A release from Raj Bhavan on Wednesday said the governor, who is also the Annamalai University chancellor, had constituted a search committee to identify a candidate for the post of vice-chancellor.
This search committee included nominees of the chancellor, the state govt, the university’s syndicate and the UGC chairman as per provisions of the Annamalai University Act and UGC’s 2018 regulations. The SC made this mandatory for constitution of the search committee.
In a letter dated Oct 25, the governor-chancellor had directed the state govt to notify the constitution of the search committee, consisting of four members with the governor-chancellor’s nominee as the committee’s convener.
The higher education department issued a govt order dated Dec 9, notifying the search committee. The notification, however, excluded the UGC chairman’s nominee in violation of the judgments of the SC, said the release.
It pointed out the SC had already ruled any appointment of vice-chancellor made on the recommendation of a search committee constituted contrary to the provisions of the UGC regulations shall be “void ab initio” (having no legal effect from inception).
“The notification issued by the govt is in difference to the search committee constituted and is void ab initio, contrary to the existing UGC regulations and prevailing orders of SC. The chancellor called upon the TN govt to recall the said notification, and directed to notify the search committee for appointment of the vice-chancellor of Annamalai University as constituted by the chancellor, which includes the UGC chairman’s nominee,” said the release.
