New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has returned the Madras University Amendment Bill, which was passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly to grant the state government the authority to appoint the Vice-Chancellor. The move, made nearly three years after the Bill was passed, is being seen as a major setback for the MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government, which has been at odds with Governor R. N. Ravi over Vice-Chancellor appointments.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly had passed the Madras University Amendment Bill in April 2022. Through this legislation, the state government aimed to take greater control over the 168-year-old university’s administration. Due to the ongoing dispute over appointments, the university has been functioning without a Vice-Chancellor for more than three years, affecting its routine administrative operations.
The amendment sought to transfer the power to appoint and remove the Vice-Chancellor from the Governor, who also serves as the Chancellor of the university, to the state government. Governor R. N. Ravi had raised concerns that the provisions of the Bill were inconsistent with University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations and therefore forwarded it to the President for consideration.
Following this review, the President has now returned the Bill, dealing a blow to the state government’s efforts to assert greater control over university administration.
